by Eliza Green
She looked up at her. ‘Feeling better?’
Isobel nodded. ‘So what now?’
Arianna stood up and descended the stone stairs. ‘Now I think we owe you an explanation as to why we put you through that. Come on. The others are waiting for you.’
Isobel followed her to District Three’s Council Chambers.
She frowned at the Chamber’s open door, different to the closed door policy operated by Gabriel and Margaux. Arianna waved her inside and she entered the space cautiously to see Serena in deep conversation with Anton. In another part of the room, Bill Taggart talked to a tall Indigene with a commanding presence. They looked at ease in each other’s company. Humans and Indigenes together? Her mind raced with possibilities of what this collaboration meant. None of them were positive.
Isobel stayed back and watched Anton for a moment. He was close to her age, but he had the stoop of an old man that made him appear older.
She startled when Serena neared. ‘Stephen and I like to be approachable.’ She nodded to the Indigene talking to Bill Taggart. ‘That’s why we leave the doors open. Anyone can use this space as long as we get priority when we need it.’
The importance of the group who waited for Isobel surprised her. District Three’s elders, and a human who had been instrumental in negotiating the peace treaty on Exilon 5. But her recent experiences stripped away any awe she might have held for them once.
A smiling Stephen walked over to her. He greeted her with a hand to her shoulder. She met his grey and yellow eyes and noted a hint of wariness.
‘My name’s Stephen. Serena and I apologise for putting you through hell since you got here. I assure you it was necessary.’
She didn’t see why. ‘What was the interrogation about?’
‘Think of it as preparation for worse things to come. We also wanted to know how useful you would be to us.’
‘Useful? For what?’
‘We need allies to help the people of Earth.’
‘Is that why he’s here?’ She nodded at Bill Taggart.
Bill stepped closer. ‘There’s an underground movement on Earth trying to liberate the people there. But many Indigenes who’ve gone through reversal treatment and returned to Earth have sided with the wrong humans.’
Isobel was confused. ‘What do you need allies for? What’s wrong with Earth?’
‘You are familiar with the one hundred genetically superior humans that live here now?’ said Serena. Isobel nodded. ‘Well, the powers that once controlled Earth are the leaders of that elite group of GS humans. World Government leaders left Earth and the humans to a new life of slavery. No government exists there to bring order. A nasty human element now controls the cities and has turned many neighbourhoods into prisons. The humans need strong-willed Indigenes who can help. Your natural abilities have re-emerged without our interference. But in the event they didn’t, we have treatments that would have helped with that.’
Isobel frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’
Serena’s chuckle drew a deeper frown from her. ‘We would never have put the safety of our kind in the hands of humans we couldn’t influence. I’m not allowed inside their medical facility because of my influential ability.’ Her hand danced to iterate her point. ‘They think I’m harmless outside of their electrified fortress. But I can feel them and reach them if I need.’
Isobel understood. ‘You mean if something goes wrong.’
‘Yes, there are still humans on Exilon 5 who oppose the peace treaty.’
‘So you could be influencing me right now to do what you want.’
‘No,’ said Stephen. ‘Your decision to return to Earth must be your own. Serena can’t maintain an influence over distance. You could change your mind en route.’
‘As far as the humans here are concerned,’ said Anton, ‘you are a devolved human. To us, you are still Indigene, with the best of both worlds. You will regain your human memories, which could help you to sympathise with the humans on Earth and their plight.’
Isobel shook her head. ‘Why would I want to help humans who might harm me?’
‘Because not all of them are bad,’ said Bill. ‘Remember that.’
Isobel thought about her husband. Finding him was her top priority and getting to Earth would happen only if she followed instructions. She stroked her arm. ‘How different will I look?’
‘Some Indigenes change back to full humans,’ said Anton. ‘Others, only partially. It depends on the strength of the body going through reversal, and the reliability of the nanoids. Some have glitches.’
‘And what do you expect me to do for you?’
‘Stephen and Serena have sent Indigenes back to Earth to help the underground movement before,’ said Bill, ‘but their betrayal has put a strain on the resources there trying to right the wrongs. We need the right Indigenes on our side, and on theirs.’
Taggart’s words weighed on her conscience. ‘What about the treaty between the humans and the Indigenes? Does that not protect the humans on Earth?’
Stephen shook his head. ‘The treaty only covers Exilon 5.’
Isobel looked at Bill. ‘If you have influence here, can’t you can do more to protect Earth?’
Bill nodded. ‘I may be Director of the ITF, but I can’t move without the GS humans’ say. This is our best shot to help the people of Earth. The old board members don’t care about what they left behind. And things are bad on Earth. We need to give the old board members a reason to care about their old home once again. We start with the people.’
‘But you have influence over these GS humans?’ said Isobel.
‘Some,’ said Bill. ‘But not the ones who matter. I’m working on the rest.’
‘So what do you think I can do?’ said Isobel to Stephen.
‘There are others here who share in our outrage at the living conditions of humans on Earth. Our elders are their closest living relative. It would be wrong for us to turn our backs on them. A woman on Earth will know how you can help. Her name is Jenny Waterson.’
Isobel turned away from the attention on her. She attempted to get a sense of their true feelings. But she couldn’t access their masked thoughts, even the human’s.
She turned back to them. ‘I want to go home, to see my husband.’ It was the truth.
‘But will you help us?’ said Stephen.
She nodded to Bill Taggart. ‘I told your human interrogator I would help the race that needed it most. I stick by that promise.’ She could make such a promise so far away from Earth. She’d make up her mind when she arrived home.
Serena looked relieved. ‘A passenger ship is returning to Earth in a couple of days. You will be on it. When you get there, ask for Jenny Waterson. She’s one leader of the underground movement. But you must prepare yourself for your return to Earth. The world is not how you remember it.’
Isobel scoffed. ‘I’ve been through worse. I can handle it.’ Her feet ached and she shifted on the spot to relieve the pain.
Arianna noticed her discomfort. ‘I think she needs some time in the Nexus. I’d like to join her, to help speed up her healing.’ She turned to Isobel. ‘What’s your skill?’
‘I was a structural engineer in my human life.’
‘That means you can see into structures and identify weak spots. What about your empath ability?’
‘It’s not as strong as yours,’ said Isobel.
‘I think we should bolster her empath side,’ said Arianna to Serena. ‘I can help her in the Nexus.’
‘Why would I need a stronger empathic ability?’
Arianna’s stare unsettled her. ‘If you keep your real skill under wraps, the criminal element on Earth will have no need for you. The first thing they test for when you get off the passenger ship is empath skills. The lower your ability, the more likely you are to be skilled in another area.’
Before Isobel could answer, Stephen said, ‘We don’t have much time. We should get going now.’
Anton leaned in and ki
ssed Arianna on the lips. ‘Be gentle with her.’
Arianna rolled her eyes at him. But Isobel didn’t understand.
‘My beautiful wife can enhance Indigene abilities inside the Nexus,’ said Anton. ‘She almost killed me once.’
Arianna hit Anton on the arm. ‘No, I didn’t. You would have died without my help. You embellish that story every time I hear it.’
Anton laughed and hugged her tight. He whispered something in her ear and Arianna smiled. Isobel saw how Serena and Stephen watched the exchange like two proud parents. She thought of her own husband. Would she and Alex just pick up where they had left off, sharing little jokes in the same way?
After eight years apart how would she find him?
8
After Isobel had eaten, Arianna took her to one of the tranquillity caves. Isobel stood inside the space that held dozens of individual units carved into the rock floor, ten feet deep. They stood over two free units that were big enough to hold three or four Indigenes each.
‘How do you find using the Nexus?’ said Arianna.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Since we discovered our true origins we’ve come to realise the Nexus didn’t exist before us. It exists because of us. It reacts differently to our individual minds. Depending on our ability, it can respond in a respectful manner. Or it can behave like an attention-seeking child.’
Isobel frowned. The Nexus had only ever been safe and predictable with her. ‘When did the Nexus ever do that?’
‘When Serena connected for the first time, Stephen was with her. It became rough with her and dragged her energy inside.’
‘But I thought the Nexus refused to take you unless you were calm. Doesn’t it keep you out if you’re agitated?’
Arianna smiled. ‘That’s how it behaves with you or me. But with Serena it had the opposite effect. The more she panicked and tried to escape, the faster the tendril came for her energy.’
‘So what happened?’
‘It pulled her inside and threw her energy clear across the void where it landed at the base of the Nexus wall. Then when other energies came to deal with her agitated state, new tendrils wrapped her up in a cocoon and stopped them from reaching her.’
‘So how did she get free?’
‘Stephen had to disconnect and break her out of her meditation.’
‘While she was still connected? Was she okay?’ Waking someone in this way could be detrimental for the mind.
Arianna smiled and looked inside her unit. ‘No damage whatsoever. Soon after, Serena learned how to command the Nexus. For so long we thought the Nexus controlled us, but we had the power to control it all along.’
Isobel glanced into her unit. ‘Are you ready?’ said Arianna. ‘Things will get a little rough in there. I will push you to your mind’s limits, enhance your empath ability, and the Nexus will help me.’
Isobel nodded. ‘It can’t be any worse than what Anton and Bill Taggart did to me.’
‘Wait until we’re done before you decide that,’ said Arianna with a smile.
Arianna jumped into her unit and landed on all fours. She sat cross-legged on the stone floor opposite one wall. Isobel used the stone footholds to enter her unit, then sat on the floor and closed her eyes. She drew in what she hoped was a calming breath and released it. In her mind, the wall opposite lost its hard rock-like appearance and transformed into a shimmering golden and orange web. A bright white tendril from the Nexus came through the web and wrapped itself around her arm. The more Isobel relaxed, the faster the tendril pulled her inside the Nexus, while her physical body remained in the unit.
Isobel didn’t have to wait long until Arianna’s energy found her. She looked around at the strange Nexus belonging to District Three. District Eight’s Nexus was one long shimmering wall of energy with a luminescent ledge at its base. Between the wall and the entry points from the individual units sat a black chasm. Energies not using the Nexus wall would exist beyond the chasm as unconnected points of light. When other users used the Nexus wall, those unconnected lights would brighten as the Nexus attempted to borrow their healing power.
But in District Three, the Nexus had no extended wall, no rogue energies existing on the edge of everything. Instead the wall circled users’ energies that had become one bright ball in its centre. The chasm was gone. Hundreds of tendrils from the Nexus wall maintained a permanent connection to the bright energy ball.
Arianna pulled Isobel’s energy into the centre of the ball. The power emanating from the new Nexus overwhelmed Isobel and she had to concentrate extra hard to moderate the hundreds of voices in her head.
‘The more efficient use of energy takes some getting used to,’ said Arianna. ‘After Serena tamed the Nexus, she encouraged all the energies to use the centre of the space instead of the outer edge. She convinced the Nexus to get rid of the chasm. When the chasm disappeared, the energies were more willing to stay closer to the wall. The Nexus grew and changed as the energies used the space differently.’
Isobel knew how other energies treated empaths like Arianna in the Nexus: theirs was an irresistible, potent energy.
‘How do you cope with the energies so close?’
Arianna laughed. ‘They no longer need my energy. The Nexus is infinitely more attractive, and more efficient now in its delivery of power and healing.’
The energies settled into a natural pattern around Isobel. She never felt pushed or crowded. It was as if they all had a place now.
A Nexus tendril came for her energy. It caressed her before providing her with a connection point to use. As soon as she connected with the tendril, she felt the power heal her cuts and bruises on the outside.
When she felt stronger, Isobel said, ‘So how will you draw out my empath ability?’
Arianna’s calm energy became alert and she floated out of the concentrated ball energy that Isobel used to heal. ‘I’m not going to do anything. They are.’
Isobel looked around her. ‘Who?’
She felt the Nexus push her energy down as the other energies crowded over her. Dozens of new tendrils connected to her and the Nexus wall rippled harder.
A thousand minds slammed into hers all at once.
A white light blinded her. The voices screamed inside her head. She stumbled back from them but the tendrils pinned her down. The first wave of voices hit her from the side. They probed her mind, tried to gain access to her deepest thoughts—her secrets. Isobel yelled and pushed them away. The second wave hit her from above. This one drove harder, deeper. Isobel kicked and thrashed against them until they retreated. Each new wave brought a stronger set of minds that became harder to block. Each attempt weakened her, but she continued to fight off their attempts to access her deepest secrets.
‘If you don’t want them digging further, you need to retaliate,’ said Arianna.
Isobel squeezed her eyes shut. She felt her energy dip. ‘How do I retaliate?’
‘Do back to them what they’re doing to you.’
Isobel pushed into their minds but crashed straight into a blockade. No matter how hard she pushed, it wouldn’t move.
‘I can’t budge it.’
‘Try harder. You’re thinking about it too much. Let it become part of your instinct, as much as your desire for privacy is a part of you.’
Isobel pushed again. This time she felt the blockade give a little. ‘That’s it,’ said Arianna. ‘Those are not empath minds. It should be easy to get past the first barrier.’
Isobel pushed and pushed, but she couldn’t do it. She huffed out a breath. ‘I can’t! I’m not an empath.’
‘You don’t need to be,’ said Arianna. ‘You must only be good enough to convince an empath that you know how to use that part of your mind. That’s who will to test you on Earth.’
‘So what do I do?’
‘Imagine there’s something you need from another mind. How badly do you want it? How much effort will you put into breaking down the barriers?’
Isobel pictured one energy holding all the secrets about her change from human to Indigene. She felt a raw need to steal that knowledge take her over. She picked a random energy and pushed as hard as she could. She felt the barrier yield to her. It broke apart and she met a new barrier, stronger than the last. The energy pushed her out.
Arianna laughed. ‘You did well. You almost got past my secondary defences. I wasn’t ready for you, though. Next time, I’ll make it harder.’
Isobel was shocked. ‘That was your mind?’
Arianna nodded. ‘How did it feel?’
‘Powerful.’
☼
After their session, Arianna returned Isobel to the Council Chambers where Stephen and Anton waited inside.
‘Did Arianna leave your mind intact?’ said a grinning Anton. Arianna gave him a little shove.
Isobel nodded. ‘It was... interesting. I didn’t realise the Nexus could evolve in that way. The one in District Eight looks nothing like that.’
‘That was Serena’s doing,’ said Stephen. ‘The Nexus had never been exposed to someone like her, someone who could influence the energies around her. The Nexus is pure energy. It exists because we do. When she used it for the first time, I thought I’d have to bring in reinforcements to help me get her out of there.’
‘It’s amazing,’ said Isobel.
‘No,’ said Stephen. ‘It’s amazing because Serena made it that way. It’s works more efficiently in its current design. Our connection time has been massively reduced.’ Isobel wondered if the other Nexuses could use Serena’s design influence.
‘So,’ said Anton, stepping forward, ‘How long has it been since you’ve hunted?’
‘I’ve never hunted. Why?’
Anton lifted his brows at Stephen. ‘I couldn’t imagine that.’
‘Neither could I.’ Stephen looked at her. ‘You’re leaving for Earth in a couple of days. Perhaps you’d like to join us on your first hunting trip before you do? Think of it as a parting gift. Something better to remember us by.’
Anton bounced on his feet and looped his arm around Stephen’s shoulders. ‘I love hunting with this idiot. He may be fast, but he’s not cunning, like me. But together... Well, let’s just say we enjoy the sport.’
