Time Catcher

by Cheree Peters

  ‘What did I say?’

  ‘Thea–’ Jay interrupts.

  I wave my hand at him, focused on Francis.

  Francis shakes his head. ‘You were so drowsy that first year, your eyes almost cloudy – not quite there most of the time, it seemed to me. One time we were in the gardens, feeding the ducks, and you suddenly looked at me and asked, “Where is my brother?”’ Francis looks sad. ‘Lucy said it was a seizure, a symptom of the head trauma you suffered.’

  I step towards him. ‘It was all a lie, Francis. I do have a brother. They weren’t really seizures at all. It was my memories surfacing, and my Variant genes.’

  He looks at Jay. ‘And this man – Jay – he is helping you?’

  ‘Yes, Francis, he’s my friend – from before, and now.’

  Jay is now pacing anxiously.

  ‘You will look after her?’ Francis says in a stern voice I’ve never heard him use before.

  Jay looks at him like he’s crazy. ‘Thea can take care of herself.’

  Francis grips Jay’s pulsar wound, applying pressure.

  ‘Argh! Yes, I will! Of course I will!’

  Francis lets go. He raises his transceiver and Jay reaches for it, but Francis holds him back with one arm. ‘McNamara reporting.’ Jay launches at him and Francis sidesteps. ‘Subjects spotted running east on Lily Street towards the Imperial Gardens.’

  Jay stops trying to fight Francis and looks at the sentinel with a furrowed brow.

  ‘Head west until you reach the city limits, then start south. You will still have to be careful. King Duncan will not stop until you are found.’

  There is so much kindness in him. He doesn’t belong here, being ordered around by a malevolent king.

  ‘Thank you, Francis.’

  ‘Be safe, A.’

  We hug again and I don’t want to step out of his comforting arms. Once I leave, I will never see him again. ‘Thank you for your friendship, Francis.’ I step back. ‘Even though the last five years have been a lie, I know your friendship was true.’

  Jay offers his good hand. ‘Ah, I guess I should thank you.’

  Francis shakes firmly. ‘You’re welcome. Just look after her, please. She is special, and not just because she is a Manip– Variant.’

  Jay glances at me before looking back at Francis. ‘I know.’

  Backyard-and-street hopping once again, we reach the city limits. The streets turned to dirt long ago with fewer people on them, the houses and buildings are more rundown with each block. We look to the west where the city stops and the ruins start.

  No one has lived out here in centuries. The only people that cross the area are the fishermen, heading for the bay. For a moment I think we should go to the shore and steal a fishing boat, but the risk is too great. I doubt Jay knows how to steer a boat and I don’t know how to swim. At least, I think I don’t.

  We sit against a half-collapsed brick wall, hidden from view. I rip up a pillowcase – plucked from a backyard washing line – to tie around Jay’s wounded arm. He winces as I bind the injury.

  ‘It’s not even a proper wound! It only grazed you!’

  ‘Why don’t you experience being shot?’

  I pull the sheet tightly, making him yelp. ‘All right, all right, sorry.’

  I smile in victory and tie the ends into a knot. ‘Not too tight?’

  ‘I’ll be fine. Like you said, it’s only a graze.’

  Relief courses through me. ‘Good.’

  ‘Wait a minute, you weren’t worried about me, were you?’

  ‘No, I was just, ah, checking.’

  ‘Sure you were.’ Jay turns the maserlock over in his hands.

  ‘It looks like they’re not interested in capturing us this time.’

  ‘Maybe not me,’ he says. ‘But the king definitely wants you alive. If they can capture me to use for experiments, that’s a bonus for them.’

  I hate Duncan. He’s not just content with stealing my life, he wants to experiment on me for the rest of it. ‘Don’t say that. I’ll need a friend in the Chamber.’ I try and give him a smirk.

  ‘Very funny, Thea.’

  ‘I hope it’s never discovered that Francis diverted the sentinels to help us.’ A frown appears on Jay’s face. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘It’s just . . .’ he looks at me. ‘Unlike you, Your Highness, I’m not used to kingdom authority figures helping me.’ I roll my eyes as he stands up, offering me his good arm. ‘C’mon, Princess, it’s time to bust out of your kingdom.’

  He pulls me up.

  A rough voice drills into my ears. ‘I don’t think so, Manipulator.’

  Jay and I both turn to see the scar-faced sentinel, his maserlock pointed at us. ‘Hand those maserlocks over, now!’ he shouts.

  I throw my maserlock at his feet and raise my hands. I can feel Jay’s fury as he tosses his own maserlock.

  Scar-face strides over and slams the butt of his maserlock into Jay’s abdomen. Jay falls to one knee, clutching his stomach. Scar-face swings at Jay’s head, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.

  ‘I have the subjects,’ he says into his transceiver. ‘We are at the city limits on the west side. I will await back-up.’ His maserlock trained on me, he clips the transceiver to his crimson coat. ‘I’m watching you, Your Highness, so don’t try anything.’

  I look at Jay, the small rise and fall of his chest the only sign that he is alive.

  ‘I knew not to trust McNamara’s report. He has always tried to protect you, and like at the parade, he has failed again.’

  I raise my left hand but the butt of the maserlock thumps into my stomach and I drop to my knees, gasping for air.

  ‘Show me your pretty little hand again and you’ll be in trouble.’

  I fall to my side, lying next to Jay, waiting for him to wake and for his annoying smirk to ease my worried mind.

  Amongst the group of sentinels that show up ten minutes later is Harries. His hazel eyes are full of worry and anger. ‘Althea, what the pex have you been doing?’

  I don’t look up at him, not wanting to see him, to be reminded of Duncan.

  Harries pulls me up, gripping my shoulders. ‘How could you do this to the kingdom, to King Duncan?’

  I look up at him, my eyes burning with hatred for Duncan. ‘Don’t you mean, how could my father do this to me?’

  Harries only looks on with disappointment. Scar-face hauls Jay up and another sentinel comes in to help carry him. My heart lifts as Jay’s eyes flicker, a groan escaping him. Distracted, I don’t notice the needle in Harries’ hand until it pierces my skin. My sight becomes hazy and light-headedness unbalances me. Harries catches me as I falter. I turn my head, searching for Jay. I fall into the blackness of his eyes. I wake, groggy, and keep my eyes closed.

  There is pain. I am acutely aware of the throbbing in my abdomen. I open my eyes a slit. I am lying on a glossy white floor. I press my eyes shut, blinded by the bright lights. Slowly, I open them, blinking to focus. It doesn’t help. All I see are blurry objects bathed in blinding white light.

  I try to roll into a sitting position, but every movement sends pain through my body. I force myself to sit up, all of my muscles screaming in protest, threatening to plunge me back into unconsciousness. Eventually, my vision comes into focus. Jay is lying on the white tiles a few metres from me. He doesn’t move. Through a glass wall, I see a long metal desk. Chains hang from the ceiling. We are in the Chamber. I wish I were still unconscious. There is no furniture, only a small, steel-walled room in the left corner. A flash of memory of my previous incarceration in this room tells me it is our bathroom.

  The basement is empty. Not a scientist or sentinel in sight. I feel momentary relief that Eli isn’t here. He must have Vaulted outside the Rampart. Safe. He has to be safe.

  I crawl to Jay and shake his shoulder. He doesn’t move but his pulse is strong. I shake him harder. ‘Jay! Jay wake up!’

  The last time we were here, yesterday, Jay was strung up in cha
ins, unconscious. I replicate how I woke Jay then, slapping his face and yelling, ‘John!’

  His eyelids twitch. I feel my sore, tense muscles relax a little. I force myself to stand. My body feels like it is filled with lead.

  I stagger to a transparent wall and put my hand on the cool glass, triggering a moment of déjà vu. This is scarily familiar. I slide my hand across the glass, walking around the room. From my dream last night, I know I was brought here after I was taken. I close my eyes, trailing my hand along the glass walls, trying to remember my time in this transparent prison.

  Images and emotions flash through my mind. Duncan is outside the Chamber, his face less creased and worn, speaking with scientists. The man who took me has his back turned, his black hair tied in a ponytail. Questions. Screams. Crying. Needle jabs. The man who took me, yelling at me, pinching my shoulder. Dr Kelvin administering the elixir, suppressing my memories.

  I don’t notice I’ve stopped moving until I feel a hand on my shoulder and I jump away.

  ‘Thea, it’s all right.’

  Jay’s soft voice rouses me from my memories. I open my eyes, shaking uncontrollably, cold sweat on my forehead.

  ‘Thea.’

  I turn and collapse into Jay, crying. He rubs my back. ‘I’m here.’

  It seems like an hour until my tears stop. I break away from Jay and walk to the door, discovering of course that it is locked.

  ‘Do you have any ideas?’ My voice is hoarse from tears.

  ‘Nope. You?’

  I take a deep breath and try to smile. ‘It’s times like these I wish I had my brother’s Ability and could simply Vault us out of here.’

  ‘That would be handy. But unfortunately, we have to come up with another idea.’ He sits on the floor against the wall opposite the door.

  I slide down the wall next to him. ‘Do you think they built this place for me?’

  ‘I don’t know, Thea. But you have to prepare yourself. They’ll run more tests this time. They suspect you have an Ability and they will do anything to discover it.’

  My mind is distracted by reclaimed memories of my time here, accompanied by panic-inducing feelings of fear and despair. ‘How are we going to get out of here?’ I ask to distract myself.

  ‘We need to use our Abilities together to try and overpower them. If you can freeze whoever–’

  ‘Catch.’

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘I know what I want to call my Ability. I can stop people in time.’ Jay waits expectantly. ‘They are caught in time, waiting for me to release them. My Ability – Time Catching.’

  Jay arches an eyebrow. ‘Really?’ I nod and he smirks. ‘All right then. You Catch whoever comes in, and we rush out with me blasting anybody in our way.’

  ‘I don’t know if I can Catch more than a few people. And what if I run out of verve like Eli?’

  ‘We have to try, Time Catcher.’

  I smile, but then my smile drops. My freedom, and Jay’s, rests in my hands. Or more precisely, my left hand. During the next hour I grow more and more anxious, waiting for someone, anyone, to appear. ‘Hurry up!’ I yell. ‘Come and do your worst, we’re ready for you!’

  ‘Thea, what are you doing? It’s not wise to make them angry.’

  ‘It’s not wise for them to make me angry,’ I say loudly.

  ‘I agree. I’ve seen you angry and it isn’t pleasant.’

  ‘Hey! It’s not fair using memories of me from the past since I don’t remember them.’

  ‘Who said I was speaking about the past?’

  I look at his smirk, irritated, but I can’t help but smile.

  At the sound of footsteps in the stairwell my anxiety swarms back. Jay and I scramble to our feet. Jay sucks in a panicked breath; he seems more on edge than me. He knows what’s coming, I realise. There is a tightness around his eyes and mouth. I scowl when Duncan walks into the basement, followed by two scientists, their faces familiar from my flashbacks.

  The scientists walk over to the steel desk while Duncan saunters to the Chamber door, regarding me curiously. ‘Hello, Thea.’

  ‘Now, now, Duncan, I thought I was never to be called anything but Althea.’ His eyes narrow. ‘Now I know why.’

  ‘You know nothing. You will remember nothing after I am done with you. All will be forgotten again.’

  ‘Why not just call me something different altogether?’ It’s better for me to be asking questions than him. ‘I could have been Keira, or Maellah. I definitely could have pulled off Gertrude.’

  Jay sniggers.

  ‘It was a test.’

  ‘What kind of test?’

  ‘If your memories resurfaced when you heard Althea, I knew to increase the elixir dose.’

  ‘I know now, so it doesn’t really matter in the end.’

  ‘Not for long, darling.’

  ‘What are your plans for me this time?’ I ask. ‘I’ve had another accident and lost my memories? A dangerous Manipulator mind-controlled me? Perhaps Jay could even be your long-lost son!’

  ‘I see I allowed you to spend too much time with Tahan.’

  ‘Allowed me? You wanted us to be friends so she would spy on me!’

  His face is blank. ‘How did you discover who you are, Thea? All these years, you did not suspect.’

  ‘It was meeting my brother, Eli. He helped me to start remembering. You could block my conscious mind, but you have no control over my subconscious mind.’

  Duncan steps closer to the glass. ‘Tell me, what is your Ability?’

  My smile widens. He still doesn’t know. ‘What Ability?’

  ‘Do not play games with me!’

  ‘Like your files said, I don’t have Space Vaulting like my brother. Maybe JC was right, maybe I don’t have an Ability.’

  Next to me Jay starts. I nudge his foot with mine. ‘You stole files from my office?’ Duncan demands, outraged.

  I can’t help but laugh. ‘Are you serious? You stole me!’

  ‘It was an opportunity. You were there for the taking.’

  ‘I’m sure you and the . . . man, your accomplice, thought it was necessary to kidnap me to help develop your precious serum. Not much help though, was I?’

  The anger disappears from Duncan’s face, replaced by a smile. ‘You do not remember everything, do you?’

  I don’t answer. I won’t let him have the satisfaction.

  ‘How interesting.’

  ‘What’s interesting is what happens to you once I do remember everything.’

  ‘No, darling, what is interesting is what will happen to him if you remember.’ Duncan points at Jay.

  I turn my gaze to Jay, confused, but Jay stares at Duncan, his hands balled into fists by his sides. I look back and Duncan is walking to the stairwell.

  ‘What’s he talking about?’

  Jay starts pacing the Chamber.

  ‘Jay, what will happen to you if I remember?’

  He turns to me, his brow furrowed. ‘I don’t know, Thea. Maybe they think you’ll remember hating me and then you’ll turn against me, wanting to be their princess once more.’

  I look into his black eyes, trying to see the truth. But just like the last few years of my life, I can’t tell the truth from lies.

  For the next few hours the scientists say nothing to us. They monitor the screens on the desk and type. I can’t make out what they’re looking at.

  Exhausted from running around the city, I sleep on the hard tile floor. I am once again disturbed by a dream of the Chamber. I am standing on a ledge fifty metres up, looking down. The wind makes me sway. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear someone calling my name, my real name. ‘Thea!’

  Trembling, I see the Imperial Gardens in the distance. I wish Infinity Lake were beneath me now, instead of the ground. I am standing on top of the Rampart, wood-and-steel sturdy beneath my feet. Behind me, the Old City. The tallest building looms above the Rampart, its steel-and-concrete structure surviving amongst the rubble of the other buildings.


  I glance down and take an instinctive step backwards. Hands stop me from retreating. I try to turn my head to see who is behind me, but I am pushed back to the edge.

  ‘Stop!’ I scream.

  ‘Thea!’ The voice is clearer, closer.

  Then I am pushed.

  I wake up.

  Jay is by my side. ‘Thea!’

  ‘It felt so real,’ I say. I want to be sick yet my stomach feels hollow. Cold sweat runs down my neck. Jay helps me sit up. I remember the ‘height tests’ written in one of the JC letters. Is my dream connected to those long ago ‘tests’?

  ‘Steady,’ Jay says.

  I am not really falling, I am fine. I’m also locked in the Chamber and people want to perform ‘tests’ on me. I am not fine. ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘You were shaking and screaming out “no” a lot.’

  ‘I was . . . remembering.’

  ‘Remembering what?’ Jay asks, looking worried.

  I touch my back before realising Eli has the folder with the letters inside. ‘In the letters I stole from Duncan’s office, I read that scientists performed “height tests” to try and get me to use Space Vaulting. They thought I must have the same Ability as Eli and Vaughn.’

  ‘What are “height tests”?’

  ‘From that dream I just had, it seems “height tests” are taking me to the top of the Rampart and . . . I don’t know.’

  Jay’s jaw tightens. ‘What else did the letters say?’

  ‘They were about the Heir program – me, and they were signed JC.’

  Jay looks away, seemingly more alarmed by the letters than Eli was. He stands, looking around the Chamber.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘They’re doing something.’

  For a moment I think he’s paranoid, but then I notice I can smell a smoky aroma. I get to my feet and bump into a wall, dizzy.

  Sentinels stream out of the stairwell.

  My vision is blurred, my mind hazy. I latch onto Jay as he begins to sway. ‘John, help me.’