CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
‘I don’t understand.’ I stare at Maggie blankly as she continues to pull me along. She refuses to acknowledge me though. There’s not even the slightest hint on her face she’s even heard my question.
‘How the hell do we have helicopters here?’ Again my question is met with silence. They look nothing like the flying machines I’ve seen in old pictures and movies, but I can tell what the smooth glass spheres are used for because of the slick metal propellers that rest on top of them. No, I’m definitely not imagining them.
I shake my head, confused. It doesn’t make any sense. How did they get here? Why would they even have them? What’s the point?
‘Maggie please,’ I implore. ‘What are we doing here? Where am I being taken?’
‘Be quiet please!’ she spits harshly at me. She tugs my arm harder and I bite down on my lip to stop myself from yelping out in pain, as her nails dig further into my skin. I slacken my body and allow myself to be pulled along. Despite my submission, she doesn’t loosen her grip.
I close my eyes, trying to regain focus and control. With my eyes shut the steady, harsh clipping sound of Maggie’s heels against the concrete floor becomes magnified. I can feel my heart beating faster, like the frantic wings of a caged bird. The endless ropes of knots in my stomach seem to pull tighter and my once steady legs quiver pathetically beneath me.
I try to ignore it all.
Now is not the time to be worried or scared. I’ve chosen to do this and I’m supposed to be feeling determined and resolute. But as much as I want to, I feel nothing of that. What was I thinking?
Panic grips my chest. I shouldn’t be here. They could be taking me anywhere.
The beating of my heart intensifies. This has gone too far. I’m going to have to fess up. I need to tell her the truth.
I stop abruptly and shake my arm loose of Maggie’s grip.
‘I faked the test! I’m not tainted!’ I cry out.
Maggie turns to look at me and the corner of her lip curls back as she peers down her nose at me.
‘How stupid do you think I look?’ she snarls. She grabs a hold of my arm again and jerks me back into a walk.
My heart beats faster.
‘But I’m telling the truth!’
Her silence tells me everything. She doesn’t believe me—of course she doesn’t believe me. How many times would she have heard that one before?
Do I try to run? The hangar is so vast and empty that I quickly push that idea aside. Where would I go?
No. I’m in this now. I have to keep on going.
My eyes stray up to the roof and I wonder whether the sky is just on the other side of that corrugated iron. If there’s a helicopter, it needs to get in and out somehow. I don’t know whether to dance with happiness or throw up with terror at the thought of seeing the sky.
An older man greets us with a wave as we get closer to the first helicopter. He’s dressed in a dark navy jumpsuit that reminds me of the army getup you’d see in old action movies. His hair is greying and the corners of his eyes are crinkled from what looks like years of laughter.
He looks over to me and winks, his eyes twinkling with mischief. I want to feel reassured by the gesture, but I’m too nervous, too suspicious. He doesn’t look like he has a cruel bone in his body. Surely he wouldn’t wink at me if I were about to be taken somewhere bad?
I glance back at Maggie, who still firmly grips my arm. Her demeanour is completely ruthless, and in this moment, I feel quite certain I’d be in more danger with her than with this stranger.
‘Got another one for me Maggie?’ the man says as we approach, jumping down from inside the helicopter. ‘Surely this is some sort of record? Three in just a few weeks. I haven’t seen numbers like that in years!’
‘Yes Gord,’ she replies, looking almost bored by the whole business.
‘So this is happening?’ I ask. My voice is full of fear and apprehension, but there is also a hint of excitement. I think the adrenaline must’ve kicked in because the thought of seeing the sky again seems to be overriding any sense of self-preservation inside of me.
‘This one seems almost eager. Wish they’d all be more willing,’ Gord says to Maggie, talking like I’m not even here.
I step back and look at them both.
‘Where are we going?’ I ask, raising my voice.
Maggie looks to Gord. ‘You’ll find out more when you get there,’ she says. I watch her face closely, trying to see some hint of what she’s hiding, but she seems uncertain. Maybe she doesn’t even know?
‘Come on kiddo.’ Gord pats me on the shoulder and directs me towards the helicopter, effectively avoiding my question yet again.
I don’t understand what all the secrecy is. It’s not like I can go tell anyone. My feet hesitate to take another step towards the helicopter as I realise, they’re taking me somewhere I don’t want to go.
Gord looks so kind; I can’t imagine he’d take me somewhere bad. Over his shoulder I can see Maggie standing stiffly behind him. She, on the other hand, looks like she’d be quite happy to send me off for some torment and torture.
The old man helps me into the helicopter and shows me where to sit. I’m up front with him, and Maggie thankfully isn’t coming.
‘Here you go kiddo.’ He passes me a headset. I can feel a stupid grin on my face. I must look like a crazed person. Grinning because I’m scared, grinning because I’m eager. I’m like some lamb being led to the slaughter and I’m beaming like an idiot.
Gord begins swishing his fingers across the clear glass panel in front of him and it comes alive with digital swirling lights and indicators. I can hear the groaning of metal above as the helicopter blades start up.
‘Gotta give you points kid. Most adults are a crying mess at this point, let alone the kids. Pretty much everyone requires at least some sort of sedation to relax. Sometimes they send an official or two, but they probably knew you wouldn’t cause any problems.’ He gives me a look of encouragement. Uncomfortable with his kindness I look back at the dashboard his fingers dart across. There are so many buttons. Gord must be incredibly smart to know what they all mean.
‘You remind me a lot of the kid I had the other week. He was pretty brave, just like you,’ he says after a moment.
My head whips around to look at him. He’s talking about Sebastian—he has to be.
‘You took the boy a few weeks ago?’ I ask urgently.
‘Yeah. What was his name?’ He looks thoughtful for a moment. ‘Ah I can’t remember. Well anyhow I took him. I think he was about as eager as you are.’ I’m hanging off of every word he says.
‘Was his name Sebastian?’ I say, hoping desperately it was.
‘Well now, that might have been his name, but I couldn’t be certain.’ I refuse to be deflated by his uncertainty. It had to have been Sebastian. No other boys have been taken; at least not that I know of. Plus Sebastian definitely would’ve been brave, no doubt about it. I just wish I could know for sure he is safe.
The hangar becomes darker, it’s almost as though someone’s hit the dimmer switch in here and there’s a loud, whining, mechanical noise from outside of the helicopter. It’s not a promising sound, in fact, it down right scares me.
‘What’s happening?’ I yell, clutching my hands tightly around the straps across my chest.
‘That’d be Maggie opening up the roof,’ he replies calmly.
‘What?’ I throw my head back and look up through the glass body of the helicopter, up towards the receding roof. The crinkled iron slides back to reveal a gaping hole in the ceiling. The opening is dark though and I can’t see anything clearly. I lean forward to try and peer around the propellers.
‘Sit back kiddo. There’ll be plenty of clouds for you to look at once we’re flying.’
I try to do as he says and sit back, but the word ‘cloud’ only makes me crane my neck back even further. I can’t seem to help myself. I’ve seen a million pictur
es and simulations of clouds, but can’t remember ever seeing them floating far above with my own two eyes. Part of me is desperate to see them, but a more sane part of me wonders how the hell we can fly in anything even remotely similar to what I’ve seen on the surface televisions.
The helicopter vibrates slightly as it lifts off the ground. We’re going up. Up to see the sky I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d see again. My gut clenches slightly though as I think, but where am I being taken?
I try to ignore the worry gnawing at my insides and only focus on the good. I’m going to see Sebastian again.
I gasp as the helicopter leaves the confines of the hangar. The desolate and barren wasteland stretches out before me. It’s more terrible than it had ever seemed on the cameras. The ground is covered in a thick and dirty blanket of ice, with large, jagged cracks that snake across its endless surface. The few dead and mangled trees jut out harshly against the landscape, their limbs contorted in unnatural ways.
The sky above is even more distressing. Angry, menacing clouds roll and churn, like a fierce and ceaseless blanket that cloaks the world below. They loom over us, dark and threatening with ugly tinges of the deep purple Lysart is known for. Far in the distance there are bright flashes as violent forks of lightning descend on the forsaken earth.
There is no life out here. No way anyone could survive.
I take a peek at Gord’s face. What are we doing up here? He looks at ease as he guides the helicopter higher, but all I can think is that he’s going the wrong way.
As we continue to climb higher, the clouds envelop us and I know I am right. Higher is definitely not better. The clouds up here pummel at the small glass bubble we fly in. Like a punching bag, we are tossed and shoved to and fro across the sky.
I cower from the sight and, gripping my knees to my chest, I lower my head into them and refuse to open my eyes. Even with my eyes shut I can still feel my stomach drop with every dip the chopper takes, and I try not to whimper as my chair shudders when we take another blow.
The battery continues for the better part of an hour, but eventually it lessens and the helicopter travels more smoothly. I’m still too frightened to open my eyes though, and I keep my head tucked firmly into my knees, with my teeth clenched so tightly you’d think they were superglued together.
‘It’s okay,’ Gord reassures me. ‘The worst is over now.’
I slowly lift my head to take a look and am surprised when my eyes meet a searing light. I take several heavy blinks in an attempt to see better, and squint as I try to adjust to the brightness that surrounds me.
My vision gradually clears, and when I realise what I can see I gasp and press my hands up against the glass. The vicious clouds no longer surround us and we’re wrapped in the bright, white luminescence of soft, fluffy clouds.
I’m surrounded by the things of fairy tales and daydreams. The clouds you spend a lifetime imagining when asked what heaven looks like.
My eyes dart up, down and all around as I watch the bulbous shapes emerge and then disappear as we move through them. They look so impressive and solid from the distance, but up close they are just wisps of air.
After a while my eyes start becoming sore. I’m constantly rubbing them, or having to close them, or take long blinks. There’s a whole lot of bright white out there.
I hear Gord chuckling.
‘What’s the matter?’ he laughs.
‘They’re a lot brighter than I thought,’ I say. ‘Not that I’m complaining! I’ll take sore eyes any day to see these clouds.’
My gobsmacked wonder at the clouds is just beginning to wear off, and my feelings of anxiety resurface, when the helicopter breaks through the mist. I squeal and jump forwards with excitement.
‘The sun,’ I yell to Gord. ‘That’s the sun!’ I repeat, pointing at the large bright ball of light and bouncing on my seat. I’m almost quivering with delight.
The most amazing blue sky is overhead and a blanket of clouds lies below. The sun is bright and piercing, it’s near impossible to look at straight on. I already feel warmer as its glow shines down on my skin, and my expression is one of total awe. I never thought I’d see the sun again.
‘Ahh that never gets old,’ Gord says. I try to imagine countless people seeing the sun for the first time in so long. It must be amazing constantly getting to witness their joy.
‘Where are we going?’ I ask Gord seriously, as we pass through another thick cloud.
‘I was wondering when you’d get to asking me again. I’m surprised you waited this long to be honest.’ He takes a deep breath before he continues. ‘The reason I didn’t tell you before, in the hangar, is because Maggie is part of the ARC society. She’s not tainted so she doesn’t know about where we take you.
‘I’m not certain what she thinks happens, but I’m fairly certain she assumes it’s somewhere pretty terrible. It probably doesn’t help that I’m not at liberty to discuss what happens when she’s around. It should be fine to tell you now though.’
‘Okay,’ I respond slowly. His explanation makes sense but it doesn’t give any indication of whether I’m being taken somewhere good or bad.
‘So where I’m taking you, there are other people like you. Special people. You’ve grown up calling them the tainted, but there’s nothing wrong with them at all. In fact people who are tainted are rather extraordinary. And you’re one of them.’ He looks at me in a way that tells me I should feel encouraged by what he’s said, but all I can think is, what have I got myself into?
‘They’ll explain all of this in more detail when we get there. In short, I’m taking you somewhere where you don’t need to be afraid to be yourself.’
I turn away from Gord and stare out at the horizon. It doesn’t sound bad, in fact it almost sounds welcoming. I just don’t know how I’m going to fit in. Being tainted has always been a bad thing. How am I supposed to change the beliefs that have been encouraged my entire life?
Something in the distance glints and the sharp, bright reflection catches my eye. I lean forward in my seat and squint my eyes in an attempt to make out the shiny object.
‘What’s that up ahead?’
‘That’s Hope City,’ says Gord. ‘Your new home.’ As we get closer to the tall crystalline structures in the distance they become clearer.
‘But it’s … well it’s … is it above ground?’ I stammer.
‘Yes.’
‘But what about the impact winter?’ I ask, my words racing over each other.
‘It started to recede here about five years ago,’ he answers patiently. I sit back in my seat, shocked. I never expected to see the sun again, let alone imagine the possibility of living under it.
I lean forward again trying to discern what exactly lies below. Through the wispy clouds pulled thin like candy floss, I can see a blinding white reflection of the sun dancing along the desolate waste of ice that still extends below us. The vast sheet stretches away from the city, for miles into the distance.
As we get closer though, the ice gradually stops and is replaced by large, empty fields of green and brown that are wild with untamed growth. The long grass ripples as the wind whips across the open fields. It seems to thrive in the flat expanse between the ice and the city.
I focus ahead on the large structures that reach for the sky. The sun seems to reflect blindingly from their surfaces and the buildings are so close to one another they appear to be all connected.
‘It’s so big. How did they build it so fast?’
‘Well most of it was here before. This was once a city. So it didn’t take too much effort to get it running again once the ice began to recede.’
As the helicopter lowers further and enters the city’s maze of buildings I start to see the shapes of people on the streets far below. They’re so tiny from this far away and there are so many of them that I begin to worry. In a place so big with so many people, how am I going to find Sebastian?
I gri
p my pendant tightly in one hand and try to take a steadying breath. Finding just one person in the masses that crowd this endless web of streets and buildings will be impossible.
‘Okay we’ll be landing shortly.’ Gord says it kindly, but instead of feeling encouraged, I feel crippled by nerves. What the hell am I doing? What have I been thinking? But more importantly, what’s about to happen to me?
I turn to Gord.
‘Are you tainted?’ I ask. Hoping desperately he is. That he’s proof nothing bad happens to people who’ve been taken. That things are not about to get worse.
He looks at me knowingly. ‘No,’ he responds. ‘I’m talented.’
END OF BOOK ONE
See what happens next in Elle’s search to find Sebastian…
Talented
Elle thought leaving the ARC would be the hardest part of finding Sebastian, but her escape from the fallout shelter is only the beginning. There’s more than just officials to contend with on the surface and, if she wants to get Sebastian back, she’s going to have to place her trust in all the wrong people.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My first, and most important, thank you is to you, the reader. It means the world to me to have people take the time to read my work, and I hope I made it worth your while.
Thank you to all the people who helped make Tainted happen. This was a task I definitely couldn’t have accomplished alone.
Pete, who spent endless hours providing me with his amazing editing skills, encouragement and advice in helping to bring Tainted to life, I couldn’t have done this without you.
To my mum who gave me so much sound advice about writing and who is probably the loudest, most enthusiastic member of my own personal cheer squad. Without her help I’d probably still be stuck on the third chapter.
Thank you to my dad, who helped me with his ridiculous general knowledge of how things work. It helped me immensely with both creating and understanding the world I built.
To Jen, whose time is generally under siege by her cohort of rugrats, thank you for dedicating some of your precious free time to Tainted. You provided me with so many new ideas to make Elle’s journey more exciting and your input really helped make the world come alive.
Finally, to Hen who has lent her beautiful face to the cover of this novel. Your never-ending support gives me the courage to pursue my dreams and I can’t thank you enough.
This book is better because of all of your input and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me make it the book it is today.
It’s one thing to have words down on a page, but something else entirely to have people who support your writing and believe in those words. So thank you guys!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALEXANDRA MOODY is an Australian author. She studied Law and Commerce in her hometown, Adelaide, before going on to spend several years living abroad in Canada and the UK. She is a serious dog-lover, double-black-diamond snowboarder and has a love/hate relationship with the gym. She can often be found on Twitter and Facebook, or you can visit her website at alexandramoody.com for further details on upcoming projects.
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