Luca

by Jacob Whaler

  “People don’t change. Not deep down where it counts.” Rika steps closer to Luca. “Zero helped you for one reason. When you went into his mind, he sensed the power you have. That’s all people like him understand. Power. And when he felt your power, he got scared. He realized you could kill him if you wanted, so he tried to save his life by pretending to help you."

  “No.” Luca shakes her head. “It’s not true."

  “That’s how they are, the ones who are deaf, who can’t hear the voices. They’re cut off and alone. All they do is think of themselves. They are the ones who are handicapped. They are the ones who are freaks!”

  Still gazing at the ground, Giraffe moves away from the group.

  “Don’t listen to her.” Luca looks at the other girls. “Rika hears the voices, but she doesn’t listen to them.”

  Giraffe walks ten paces across the grass.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Rika yells at Giraffe. “Trying to get away? Are you scared?”

  He stops. “Please. I never meant to hurt Luca or the others. I only did what the Superintendent of the Institution told me. She said the voices were evil, that it was our job to beat them out of the girls. She said it was for their own good. She said we had to make them normal. So we could get money from Tokyo.”

  Leaving Zero’s side, Luca places herself between Giraffe and Rika. “You’re not going to hurt him.”

  “He’s like Zero.” Rika drops to the ground. “He doesn't deserve to live.”

  “He doesn’t deserve to die.” Luca sits Japanese style, facing Rika.

  Giraffe tumbles to the ground.

  The other girls scream.

  Sounds of the outside world are sucked away, leaving Luca in silence.

  Rika’s voice pierces the void.

  So this is it. The final battle.

  Luca struggles to talk as an invisible weight presses on her chest.

  I don’t want to hurt you. Just leave Giraffe alone, and we’ll all go away.

  Rika laughs.

  You know I can’t let you off that easy. You have to understand the power we have.

  I understand.

  Then use it.

  Please, just let us go.

  Searching in the darkness, Luca finds the familiar space in Giraffe’s mind, alive and well. She slips inside.

  Rika is already there, waiting, taunting.

  Are you willing to kill me, Luca?

  Luca doesn’t know the answer.

  But she knows Giraffe’s mind. She used to spend hours there, exploring, wandering through multiple levels, surveying his memories, sensing his longing and isolation. Like every mind, its structure is unique and delicate. She goes straight to the most inward partition.

  A place she’s always called the Core.

  A ribbon of light shimmers in the darkness.

  And it must be protected. Luca positions herself between it and Rika.

  So you found the Core. I knew I could count on you to lead me quickly to it.

  Rika’s mind pushes against Luca, testing for weakness, probing for an opening.

  You’re strong, Luca, but you have one very big weakness. You believe in love. It all started with your parents. I wonder why. I’m glad I killed mine.

  A blurry image of Luca’s father opens up like a blooming flower in the dark. Luca can see his face and eyes. He walks closer to her and reaches down, lifting her from her crib. She senses the soft interior of his mind, a place she called Home as a small child.

  Joy pours over and around her.

  You think your father loved you, don’t you?

  Luca doesn’t hesitate to give an answer.

  Yes.

  Are you ready for the truth, Luca? I’ll give it to you. His love was an illusion. For you and for him. Nothing more than a point of focus for a dying man whose life was draining away due to sickness and fatigue. You think it was love? It was a survival tactic. A convenient lie. A crutch. And it didn’t work. Your father still died young.

  A surge of rage wells up in Luca. Trying to push it back, she’s caught off guard. Rika’s mind begins to slip past Luca, probing for the Core, intent on extinguishing the light.

  And ending Giraffe’s life.

  But Luca regains her balance. Her mind becomes a wall that pushes Rika back with surprising ease.

  It’s not over, Luca. That was just a test. To see if you’re awake. I’m still not sure you are.

  Rika’s mind makes a sudden exit, leaving Luca alone in the dark in front of the shimmering ribbon of light.

  Do you really think you can protect them all from me?

  A wall of panic slams into Luca. Slipping out of Giraffe’s mind, her eyes flip open.

  The girls are still shrieking, this time staring down at one of their own sprawled unmoving on the grass.

  She used to be one of us, but she believed the lies they taught her at the Institution and quit listening to the voices. She became like Zero and Giraffe.

  “What have you done?” Luca yells, scanning the yard for any sign of Rika. “Where are you?”

  I’ve relocated. Never mind where my body is. My mind could be anywhere. That’s the beauty of it. I killed her while you were trying to protect Giraffe. Which you’re not doing a very good job of.

  Luca’s eyes flip shut. In the darkness, she finds her way back to Giraffe, back to his Core.

  What have you done?

  The shimmering light fades. Luca reaches out for it, but it melts away, slipping through her fingers. And then it’s gone.

  For the third time, Luca has allowed Rika to kill one of her friends. Zero and Giraffe both gone. One of the girls dead. Where will it stop?

  It’s not going to stop. It’s just going to get more fun. Now let’s play hide and seek. Just like when we were kids. Only this time, instead of hiding in the yard, I’ll hide in the minds of the girls. You’re It. Every time you fail to find me, one of them dies.

  Luca opens her eyes. A tidal wave of panic crashes down. The girls are strangely quiet.

  “Where is she?” Luca scans the group.

  The ones who can still hear voices shake their heads, aware of the deadly game being played. The others look around, bewildered.

  Bingo.

  Another child falls to the ground.

  Why are you doing this, Rika?

  Luca hears a giggle inside her mind.

  After all I’ve told you, need I say more?

  It’s clear what Luca must do. Rika has turned into a monster. She must be stopped. There’s only one way to do it. It would be so much easier to walk away. Luca’s failure to face the truth until now has cost the lives of four of her friends.

  Please don’t make me do this.

  Another chuckle. I don’t think you can.

  In the lotus position, Luca draws in her breath and closes her eyes. She pushes back the horror of what she must do. The world falls away. Encased in quiet, she searches in the dark for movement, sending out feelers in all directions, listening for the sound of Rika’s mind, fearful of what she might find and what she must do when she finds it.

  One more down.

  Relaxing, Luca lets the voice of Rika pull on her mind. She goes in its direction but arrives at its source too late. Another girl is dead. Like an anchor, fear still hangs heavy in Luca’s mind.

  Let it go, Luca tells herself.

  The terror leaves; the weight drains away. She is lighter than pure thought.

  And she listens.

  Movement draws her through the darkness. She follows the current of its path. She’s not far behind, and she’s getting closer. And then, reaching out, her mind closes on it, like fingers clinging to a thread.

  A blast of black light pushes on her, but she holds fast, refusing to let go.

  I’m surprised you’ve gotten this far, Luca. But you’ll never be able to do it. I'm the stronger one, remember?

  Luca moves against a surge of opposing thought, inching her way forward, closer to the source, littl
e by little. In the distance, through the storm, she catches a glimpse of the shimmering ribbon.

  Rika’s Core.

  You’ve forgotten something. The closer you get to me, the closer I get to you.

  The voice is Rika’s, but it’s multiple octaves lower.

  Luca pushes against it, focused only on the shimmering ribbon.

  You have so much power. I never knew.

  Digging deeper, the kiss of a thousand tiny blades slash, bite and cut against Luca. Her mind fills with sound. The shimmering ribbon is within reach.

  And then all goes silent.

  Please don’t.

  Luca’s fingers touch the ribbon. It vibrates and tingles as a lifetime of memories, Rika’s memories, flood into Luca’s mind.

  Where is your love?

  Ignoring the voice, Luca’s hands curl around the ribbon, bringing it close. She stares down at the fragile life she holds.

  And rips it apart.

  When she opens her eyes, she’s lying on the grass, body wet with perspiration, staring up.

  Streams of beautiful color fill the night sky.

  45

  ARMY

  “What is it this time?”

  “Good news,” the woman says.

  Mercer sits in the dark, eyeshades on, and lifts a lemon slice from the tray. “Let’s hear it.” Plunging his teeth into the yellow flesh, he rips away a large piece and chews.

  “All right.” The woman glances at her slate. “The first arrivals are already settling into the domes at the Fukushima facility. It seems that the light show in the heavens and the disruption in global communications has piqued their curiosity and prompted nearly all of them to accept your offer of lodging. Of course, they think they’re being invited to an international conference of experts on putting an end to environmental depredation. Here’s an updated list of the guests.”

  Mercer grabs the slate from her, quickly scans it from top to bottom and hands it back. “As I would have expected.”

  “And now the bad news.”

  “Wait.” Mercer frowns, lifting his hand and reaching for the narco-pipe. He takes a deep inhale from the purple end. Relaxation ripples through his body. “OK. I'm ready.”

  “Qaara and her fellow travelers are still alive.”

  “I see.” Mercer’s frown disappears, replaced by the hint of a smile. “Do you have a location?”

  “As the auroras have faded from the sky, some communications have come back online. The trackers on their gyropods indicate they’re within a few miles of the Fringe and moving this way.”

  “And why is that bad news?”

  The woman takes a step back. “Because they’re not alone.”

  “Who cares?”

  “They have an army with them.”

  “An army?” Mercer chokes on a piece of lemon. “Such a quaint term. I wasn’t aware there were any armies left in the world.”

  “There are now.” The woman hands her slate to Mercer. “One of our drones got lost during the communications blackout. It just woke up and sent this." She flips the picture on her slate to the holo in the center of the room.

  Mercer stares at an image of a valley filled with ancient trucks and artillery. It all has a distinct twentieth century look. “How did this army manage to get through the Divide? How did Qaara get mixed up with them?”

  “No idea, but she’s on an gyropod at the center front of the mass. Almost as if she’s leading them back here to the City."

  “Why?” Mercer drops the narco-pipe, stands and circumnavigates the hologram, staring at miniatures of old army trucks and tanks from all angles, like the toys he’s seen in museums. "Why would she do this? Utter suicide.”

  The woman slips the slate away. “I’m guessing she wants to see you dead.”

  Mercer’s jaw tightens. “Have you alerted the authorities?”

  “No. I was waiting for your direction.”

  “Do it.” Mercer walks back to his chair and sits down. “Send them the images. Tell them the City is under attack from the Zone. Shouldn't take much to wipe out that army. A few heli-ships with plasma lasers will have it done in minutes.”

  The woman turns to the door, no expression on her face. “There’s just one small problem.”

  “What?”

  “Sundown is in an hour, precisely when we enter the Cloud proper.” Her gaze climbs to the ceiling. “That’s when the real light show will begin. It will be unsettling psychologically, to say the least. Not to mention the potential effect on electronics. It could disrupt our defenses.”

  “Makes me wonder,” Mercer says.

  “About what?”

  “How would this ragtag army have known to time their attack right when Earth is in the Cloud?”

  The woman’s lips tighten into a faint smile. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

  “Agreed.” Mercer shakes his head. “Qaara.”

  “Does this do anything to change your opinion of her?”

  Mercer takes a minute to consider the question. In spite of repeated efforts at recruiting her to his cause, Qaara has shown herself to be his enemy. Doing all she can, in her pathetic way, to oppose his master plan. And now, it appears she’s coming back to the City on a mission to stop him. As much as it pains him to admit it, perhaps she is expendable.

  “I no longer have an interest in protecting her.”

  “Might I suggest that you board your transport and get away now, before the City’s defenses launch their attack on Qaara? Just in case there are any . . . difficulties.”

  Mercer shakes his head. “Are you kidding? A bunch of thugs from the Zone aren’t going to change my schedule.”

  “Still planning on being the last to arrive at the Fukushima facility? Fashionably late?”

  “It has nothing to do with fashion. Purely strategic. By the time I get there, I want all of my guests to be thoroughly confused, terrorized and hungry for leadership. And answers.”

  “As you wish.” The woman turns again to leave. “Are you going to watch the attack?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. Is my flock of drone-cams in place?”

  “On their way.” The woman motions at the holo. “You’ll have a direct feed. Best seat in the house. And your special transport will be ready for a quick exit, in case you change your mind. Just give the signal, and I can have you on your way to Japan in seconds.” She leaves, and the door silently shuts behind her.

  Mercer settles into his chair, eyes on the holo, anxious to watch the old-fashioned army burst into flames.

  46

  MARIONETTES

  Jedd is the first to hear it. Or, more precisely, the first to feel it. In his bones.

  Thump, thump, thump.

  By his reckoning, they are still twenty klicks from the Fringe. The sun has just slipped below the horizon to their backs. They are pushing hard, driving the vehicles at top speed, raising a cloud of black dust that lingers in the sky like squid ink in water.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Jedd says, leaning forward over Qaara’s shoulder to squint into the dark sky ahead. “Attack ships?”

  She looks up with her genmod eyes. “Right on schedule. Atmospheric ionization stopped a couple of hours ago. Auroras are gone. The calm before the storm. Communication links might be back up and working, which means we’re on their radar. If I know Mercer, he's watching us right now in his holo room, lemon slices at his fingertips.” She turns, giving Jedd a perfect view of her perfect profile, lit by the bright red sunset to the West.

  “Lemons?”

  “Long story. Later.”

  Ricky pulls his gyropod closer. “If there is a later.” He extracts his jax from his pocket. “Connectivity is spotty, but you're right about the network. There’s enough to do an audio analysis.” His fingers brush the side of the jax in rhythm with the tapping of his thumb on the end. A holoscreen pops up. "Looks like a full squadron. Twenty-four of the City’s heli-fighters. Closing fast. Cannons will be in range in less than three minutes
.”

  Jedd considers their situation.

  He’s purposely put off making up his mind until the last minute.

  And now it is the last minute.

  “Do we run or stay?” Jedd scans the army behind him, then stares at Qaara. If there is a full-scale attack, there isn’t much chance she'll be alive an hour from now. His insides melt.

  “Moses said we could leave as soon as we came within sight of the City.” Jedd points ahead. “I’d say we’re close enough. If we take off now, we might be able to get away from the main body of the army before the carnage begins.”

  Ricky glances over his left shoulder. “Agreed. I say we make a run for it now. Get some place underground and out of sight where the bio-targeting algorithms can’t find us."

  “Qaara?” Jedd says. “Are you with us?” He prays she'll take the easy way out and follow them.

  “I’m staying with Moses.” She glares at Ricky and then at Jedd. “We’re staying with Moses and his army.”

  Ricky rolls his eyes.

  “Are you crazy?” Jedd can’t suppress the sudden image of a laser blast catching him in the torso and blowing him apart.

  “Nope.”

  “I get it.” Jedd’s hands slide off Qaara’s shoulders. "Moses is a charismatic guy. He has you under his spell.”

  From out of the dark sky, they hear a high-pitched scream, like a baby. A massive explosion blooms a hundred meters ahead. Another scream passes overhead and makes impact just off the right flank of the army.

  “They’re firing blind missiles.” Ricky points to the east. “I've read about their tactics. The first shots churn up chaos. When they engage on their bio-detectors, the real destruction begins.”

  The army halts. From the look on people’s faces, it’s clear that raw fear is about to take over.

  “Look,” Qaara says. “I’m no fan of Moses. He's looking for power, plain and simple. But his people deserve better. They’ve been locked up in the Zone for generations by people like Mercer. They deserve a chance to take back their future. I’m staying with them."

  “I don’t believe this.” Jedd loosens his grip on Qaara’s shoulders. "What about the Cloud? How can they take back their future if they’re dead?” His chest resonates with the sound of the approaching attack-helis.