by Van Forson
The old Sal would have told Brad exactly where to go, but as Dai, was vulnerable and stayed silent.
“Just say it,” I said, trying to keep on top of my rising emotions as Dr Stoneway had advised.
“Well ok. There’s a divide in the crew, Code Types against Tachions. It happened when Philippe went wild and flipped out at the Twins house. Ms Lush had him thrown out because he hurt Mindy.”
“What? I don’t believe that!” Dai shouted unable to hold her tongue any longer.
Brad looked at her suspiciously, “Hey, don’t I know you?”
Dai stared deeply into his eyes and then Brad lost recollection of his recollection.
“What was I saying? Oh yeah. Me, Max and the Twins have decided to stay away from Philippe and Wain. Ever since he did that mind thing on you, it freaked me out. You know he seriously violated The First Truth. I suggest you, Sal and you little bro stay away from Tachions too.”
Brad glared coldly at Skye, “I know Jet and her are close and all, but I wouldn’t encourage their friendship if I were you.”
“Brad, this is ridiculous, Jet and me - ”
“ - I know you guys haven’t officially got your Code Types yet, but it’s obvious you’re a Compassionate Type, like your mother. Stick to your own kind, trust me.”
Brad brushed passed Dai, totally ignoring her, and jumped back into his cruiser.
“I’ll bell you later.” He said as he sped off almost knocking Skye’s bike over.
“Where’s the fire knucklehead!” Jet hollered as Brad cruised away.
“I never knew Brad hated Tachions so much.” Dai trembled with anger.
Riding home from Commania Dai had wavered and wanted to take a Capsing pill, to turn back into Sal. I had convinced her not to by assuring her that the crew would accept her no matter how she looked. How wrong could I have been.
“I can't believe he warned you to stay away from your Tachion friends.”
“What? Why?” Skye rasped.
“I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding, something pretty big must have gone on while we were away,” I said, trying to make sense of Brad’s rant.
“Don’t defend him.” Jet spat. “I don't want to hear that numbskull's stupid opinions. That’s why I don't like hanging out with your friends, it's much better when it's just me and Skye.”
“I’m not making excuses. I've known Brad since kindergarten, and I’ve never seen him act like that.”
“I’m changing back.” Dai cracked her knuckles. “I don’t want to have to mess with your minds and erase what you know about me, so I swear you all to secrecy. You cannot tell anyone my real identity.”
“Don’t do this Dai. You’ve come so far.” I said.
“That’s easy for you to say. This world is yours for the taking, designed for you, the Code Types. I can’t live on the Upper Worlds as a Tachion!” Dai said, her flame like hair blazing.
Skye hung her head. She had seen too many Tachions deny their true identity. It was a shame.
“There must be another way. You're so much happier in your natural state, Dai.”
“I’m Sal, not Dai. Get it?”
“Ok, jeez! Got it.” Jet said, not wanting this uncomfortable situation to go on any longer.
Skye kept her eyes downcast and nodded her head. Dai turned to me for the final agreement to keep her secret. Her desperation made my resistance crumble.
“Whatever you want D – er - Sal,” I mumbled.
“Good.” She popped an emergency Capsing pill, which she kept in a wrist bracelet.
“Aaagh.” Instantly she doubled over in pain as the bitter pill took immediate effect.
I rushed to her side.
“Don’t touch me,” she yelled, dropping to the floor.
We stood back and watched unnerved as Dai’s body convulsed on the ground. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets and her body contorted before her bright red frizzy mane softened into ringlets. A pale green being, a cross between Tachion Dai and Code Type Sal, rose to her feet.
“I need to get another dose,” she said, weakly stumbling to The Speedster.
“You can’t ride like that.”
Sal-Dai shook me off, “I can’t let anyone see me like this,” she whispered as she climbed on her bike.
With one flick of a switch, she glided off leaving us in total shock of what we had just witnessed.
After a long pause, Skye was the first to speak. “Why can’t anyone just be happy with who they are?”
I nodded slowly in agreement. Knots twisted in my stomach. Something bad was coming, I could feel it. The happy, peaceful tranquillity of Commania was long gone.
***
I lay in bed, eyes darting around in the darkness, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. I hadn’t spoken to any of my other friends about what Brad had said. Right now I didn’t want to. I was just happy to be back home. I was even glad that Jet had gone to stay at Skye’s. It gave me time alone with my parents, and I couldn't believe that I had missed them so much.
Time away had made me realise just how lucky I was to have my ma and dad, the odd couple. For all of their genetic differences, they were good people who loved each other. Jet and I had not always been the perfect children, especially of late, but our parents would do anything for us. They had provided us with a loving home and kept us safe from harm. I now realised not everyone was afforded that start in life. I was grateful for my parents.
I closed my eyes, but sleep still evaded me, so I looked at my inner screen, focusing my attention on the place just above and between my eyebrows. I started Kimetic. Before long I felt light as a feather. I left my physical body and looked down at myself asleep on my bed. The fantastic feeling of being in my inner world, yet outside of my body, was not one I would ever tire of.
‘Max.’
I was so enjoying floating around outside of myself I wondered why Max had popped into my head.
‘Go to Max,’ the soft voice, my own voice, whispered within me.
Just like that I was back in my body.
Why would I tell myself to go and see Max now? I knew he would be upset with me for going to Commania without him, but surely he would understand. Plus I knew he would find what I had to tell him about it fascinating.
I checked the time display. It read 2 in the AM. Max would be sleeping for sure, but that had never stopped me in the past. I jumped out of bed, crept down the stairs, shoved on Jet’s rocket sneaks and flew across the yard.
***
“…I’m telling you, Philippe completely lost it. But if you were here, instead of Commania, you would have seen it for yourself, so I wouldn’t have to tell you for the eighth time.” Max wearily pushed his specs up his nose.
“I said I was sorry for going off without you. And don’t exaggerate it’s not the eighth time.” I was curled up on the foot of his bed, happy to be in his company.
“It was eight times, I counted.”
“Still there was no reason for Brad to act like that. It was horrible, in front of Dai and Skye too. He was heartless.”
“Yes. Perhaps Brad didn’t choose the right time, but what he said was accurate. We have to be careful of Tachions. They’re volatile, able to change at any given moment.”
“How can you say that Max?”
How would he be with me if he knew that I wasn’t a Code Type after all? How could I explain to him that I was Human? The Res and Dr Stoneway had spoken about it like my humanness was an awesome tool to be harnessed. I doubt Max would agree with that.
“We’ve had Tachion friends all our lives.”
“No. You’ve had Tachion friends all of your life because your mother is a care worker in Sub Zero. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn’t know any.”
“You wouldn’t be friends with Philippe, Wain, Skye or Sal if it weren't for me?”
“What are you talking about, Sal’s not a Tachion.”
“Oh yeah, what am I saying?” I almost let Sal’s secret ou
t. I faked a Twin-esque giggle to try and cover it up.
“Skye is intriguing, but she’s your little brother’s friend. Your little brother who despises me.”
“Jet doesn’t despise you,” I said defensively. “He’s off-ish with everyone.”
“Anyway back to what you were asking. Wain is fine. The fact that his two brains work simultaneously is a biological marvel. I thought I had bonded with Philippe, but I guess not, since he turned on me. I’m a thinker, not a fighter. I can’t comprehend that macho stuff.”
“I just can’t believe Philippe would do something like that. He hasn't got an aggressive bone in his body. I need to speak to him myself.”
“Well, perhaps you'll be able to make sense of his actions. I couldn't. Without you here, everything just fell apart. You're the glue that bonds us together Kid. I missed you when you were away.”
Max looked at me squarely for the first time. In his eyes, I saw behind his neekiness, his gadgets and his intellect. I saw the very essence of who he was. That part of a person that is timeless and true. At that moment my heart opened. At that moment I felt love.
"I missed you too Max."
WAHE, WAHE, WAHE!
Sirens wailed, and red lights flashed from across the lawn. Max and I rushed to the window.
“What’s happening?!”
A horde of White Coats dragged my parents, into an awaiting Officials car while high tech Guardians swarmed my house. Sheer terror gripped me like a vice.
“I am trying to deduce what is happening in your home. My first supposition is that they’re looking for you. Perhaps it has something to do with Commania, or more likely the Authorities have traced TEN interference signal back to you. I did tell you it was only a matter of time before… ”
I was not listening to Max; I was running on automatic. I jumped into my rocket sneaks.
“Thanks for everything Max. You’re the greatest.”
I kissed his cheek before flying out of his bedroom window. I needed to put as much distance between myself and the Officials. But first I needed to get Jet before they did.
***
“…So what about ma and dad?” Jet asked sinking further into the feather filled cushions in Skye’s living room sofa. Right now he needed all of the comfort he could get.
“They have no knowledge of what we’ve been up to. Even if they get questioned they’ll be fine.” I tried to reassure Jet as well as myself.
Skye rested a steaming beverage in a glass mug on a coaster for me and fidgeted nervously at the edge of the sofa.
“So if you can’t go home, where are you going to go?”
“Maybe we should head straight back to Commania.” Jet said.
I thought for a moment. Commania was far too much of a peaceful fairy-tale to be dragged into this nightmare.
“I can’t risk the Authorities looking for us there. They would wreck the place."
“Well let’s head to UC, the Authorities will never find us there.”
“It’s kind of risky," I said.
“And like the ultimate in dangerous, the PGs will be on high alert looking out for you.”
“True.” Jet agreed with Skye.
“You can stay here,” Skye said. “That’s if you don’t mind being surrounded by Tachions.”
I noticed the resentment in her tone but decided to ignore it. It wasn’t my fault my friends were acting like morons, and I had more pressing issues right now than to have a Code Type versus Tachion debate.
“Thank you for the offer Skye, but we can’t stay here,” I said.
“Why not? What are you trying to say?” Jet got his back up defending Skye’s feelings.
I sighed loudly. Why did even the simplest things have to be a fight with Jet?
“Because Skye’s your best friend, and everyone knows it. It’s only a matter of time before the Officials find their way here. In fact, we’d better get going.”
“That’s true.” Skye agreed. “So where are you going to go?”
“We need to go deeper into the Tachion community, somewhere we won’t be detected. Somewhere that’s so far off the mainstream radar that no one can find us.
“We need to stay somewhere that has no ties with the Upper Worlds with someone who is willing to hide us.”
“Well that doesn’t leave many options,” Skye rasped.
“But it leaves us with one option, the best one,” I answered with the sudden realisation.
“Who? ”
“Wain.” Jet and I nodded. Finally, we agreed on something.
***
“…You cannot be serious!” Jonsey, a big red Tachion with flowing dreadlocks, barked furiously at Wain.
Jet and I backed further into the shadows in the corner of the room. Wain's two brains worked overtime trying to figure out a solution. He thought this would be the best course of action. Obviously, he was wrong.
“Well, I propose - ”
Jonsey cut him off, “The TL is already top of the Authorities most wanted list. Hiding two Code Type fugitives is just going to bring us more heat.”
“But they are for the movement, and they’re against the Upper Worlds system too,” Wain said.
I squinched my nose, that wasn’t entirely accurate and to be honest, I wasn’t even sure how I had gotten myself into this predicament. This so-called Prophecy had started a course of action and a chain reaction that had led us here. I didn’t want to be part of the TL - in many ways they were the same as the Authorities, but at the complete other end of the scale. I wanted to walk the middle path. I didn’t dare open my mouth though to voice that. Jonsey was far too fierce.
“I can’t believe you bought them here!” Jonsey shouted.
“It’s the only place I know where you’ve disabled all signals so their routers can’t be tracked,” Wain said meekly.
“Whatever little game they’re playing has nothing to do with our cause. And you've brought them right into the nucleus of the operation. They could be Code Type spies for all we know.” Jonsey raged.
“But they’re not even Code Types. Yet.” Wain protested.
A smatter of laughter filled the air as the other Tachions in the room scrutinised Jet and I harder. I blushed. How embarrassing, that the stigma of my puberty was about to be discussed in a room full of volatile Tachions.
“What?” Jonsey half barked, half smiled.
“They haven’t got their Code Type yet. They’re late bloomers.” Wain continued with more gumption.
Jonsey belly-laughed. I kept my eyes on the floor hoping that at any minute now the ground would open up and swallow me. Jet, on the other hand, balled up his fist and unleashed his hot temper,
“What’s so funny about that?” Jet fumed.
“Jet,” I called quietly from the corner of my mouth, “this is not the time to get bright.”
But he ignored me.
“So we haven’t got a Code Type, big deal! At least we don’t claim to be some big bad militants who actually creep around in a dusty, old library.
“Our little crew single-handedly took down the whole of The Eye Network. What has the great TL – the so called Tachion Liberation Movement ever done?”
“Why you - ” Jonsey stomped forward.
I jumped in front of Jet protectively and prepared for the worst. I always knew my brother’s survival would be the death of me.
Jonsey stopped in his tracks when he saw the display of bravery and unity.
“So we have a live one here, hunh?” Jonsey growled in a softer tone. “I wish more Tachions had your spirit.”
Wain ran to his friend’s side, “Yes full of heart. These are good peoples yo. I’ve known them all of my life. Their mother is a Compassionate Type and works at the orphanage where I grew up.”
“One of those patronising do-gooders!” A voice from the mob of Tachions said, unimpressed.
“It’s not like that. She’s a good person who cares for everyone.” I heard the words tumble from my mouth before I coul
d stop them.
I had never defended what I considered my ma’s weak will before. But here and now, more than ever, I realised my mother’s intent.
“My ma wants a peaceful way of life for everyone, and she tries to achieve it the best way she knows how - by being nice. It doesn't always work, and people often take advantage of her kindness, but at least she’s trying to make a difference.”
All I wanted more than anything right now was to be safe at home with my parents, wrapped up in all of my ma’s kindness, my dad’s practicality and Jets impulsiveness. But that little voice of intuition, that I had finally begun to understand, was telling me that those days were gone, and it would never be that way again.
“So you two both have heart, hey?” Jonsey said. “Well let’s put your fearlessness to the test. Let’s see if you really are Code Types or not. Macadamia! Get the circuitry.”
With that, an orange Tachion wheeled in a rusty, squeaky electronic unit.
Wain's eyes grew wider and began to spin, “Oh no. It's the dreaded CTT.”
I tried my best not to flinch. I knew exactly what the unit was. I had heard how painful the Code Type test was, that’s why my ma had never let my dad or any doctors perform the procedure. Now here I was in a rundown building, nowhere near a hospital, about to have the test performed.
“If you aren’t Code Types, you can stay here with us in safety. I swear my life on it.” Jonsey said in pleasant tones, putting his hands across his chest in an oath.
“But if you are Code Types you’re probably spies and you Wain are a traitor,” Jonsey growled.
Wain swallowed hard. I stared petrified at the amateur machinery. Jet’s scowl deepened.
“And if you’re spies, and you a traitor Wain, we’ll personally deliver you all to the Authorities ourselves. Now hit it!”
Macadamia plugged in the CTT unit and a huge electric buzz filled the dusty, paper book filled room. Jet and I clutched our ears. The loud zinging infiltrated my mind and drowned out my internal screams for help.
***
“…I still can’t believe she’s with the Tachions.” Max, perched rigidly on the cotton candy beanbag in Mindy’s room, said fretfully.
“I can’t believe she took sides like that,” Brad said, wrapping an arm around his new girlfriend for comfort.
