by T. C. Edge
I look to Tess and smile. She has the same idea.
Before she can speak, however, I blurt out a single word.
“Hybrids,” I say.
Rycard frowns, thin eyebrows dipping over his penetrating gaze.
“What about hybrids?” he asks.
“I heard a technician saying that the perpetrators earlier were hybrids. That they were the ones responsible. Is that true? Is that who the Nameless are?”
It’s obvious that Rycard wasn’t expecting such a line of questioning. He sits back and considers things a moment, his eyes turning down the corridor to check that Sophie remains with the baby.
“Yes, that’s true,” he says. “Hybrids are considered dangerous here. They’re seen by the Court as ‘anomalies’ and aren’t tolerated.”
“But Sophie…she said yesterday that only unsanctioned hybrids are illegal. She didn’t say much else, but I got the impression that other hybrids were bred, but in a controlled way.”
“Impressive,” says Rycard, smiling. “You have excellent intuition. There are certain types of hybrids that are actively bred for specific purposes.”
“Which are?” asks Tess.
“Well, hunting illegal hybrids, to put it bluntly.”
“Stalkers,” I whisper.
“Indeed. Now where did you hear that?”
“Deputy Burns,” I answer. “He told the technician to ‘send out the Stalkers’.”
“It’s the usual response whenever the Nameless rear their heads,” says Rycard coolly. “The Stalkers are our most lethal force and are ruthless hunters.”
“So, the Nameless have appeared before?” I query.
He nods. “They have, but today they took it to a new level, hijacking the video feeds. It’s obvious they’ve grown more organised and bold, and used the ceremony as an opportunity to reveal themselves to the masses…”
“Right, can we pull back a bit here,” says Tess. “So, these hybrids, I assume, are mixed Enhanced? Like, if you married a Dasher?”
“Precisely,” says Rycard. “If that happened, it’s possible that my kids could have both the physical traits and genetic qualities of me and their Dasher mother. So, in that case, they would be Hawks and Dashers.”
“So…Hawkers?” asks Tess.
“Actually, yes, that’s exactly what they’re called.”
Tess grins, looking rather pleased with herself.
“And, these hybrids are considered dangerous?” I ask. “Why?”
“If you knew Savants like I did, you’d get it. They don’t like anything they can’t control. I mean, it’s not even that hybrids are dangerous. They’re just different. It’s more that the Court have made them dangerous by outlawing them, unless they breed them themselves.”
“And now they breed their own hybrid super-soldiers in order to hunt other hybrids,” says Tess. “That’s screwed up.”
Rycard doesn’t disagree.
“Anyway, how do illegal hybrids even come about?” I ask. “I mean, if relationships between different types of Enhanced are illegal, why do people take the risk?”
“Love,” says Rycard quickly. “And, I suppose, lust plays its part too. Either way, these sorts of emotions are too strong to deny for some people, regardless as to whether something is illegal. I mean, over in Outer Haven, people get murdered, right?”
We nod.
“Well exactly. People know it’s illegal, and they do it anyway, because of anger or passion or hate or jealously. Emotions like these can cause a lot of pain.”
“And the Savants don’t understand all that,” I say, nodding. “They should just stop everyone feeling emotion if that’s what they want…”
Rycard raises his eyebrows and purses his lips.
The room goes silent for a moment, and from down the corridor, the sound of a crying baby spreads.
“I should go check on them,” says the Hawk, standing to his feet.
“Just…one more question,” I say, stopping him before he can retreat.
He turns his deep eyes back down to me, and waits.
“These Nameless, these hybrids…where exactly are they?”
Rycard looks towards the semi-tranparent wall, and sends his sharp gaze over the city. I wonder just how far he can see with those augmented eyes of his.
And as he looks, scanning the world, he answers.
“Look around you,” he says quietly. “They’re everywhere.”
13
As Rycard disappears down the corridor, I turn to Tess and see that her eyes are tracing the Hawk’s steps. She doesn’t turn back to me until he’s disappeared completely from view.
“Well, that was revealing,” she says. “He was a little more candid than his wife, wasn’t he?”
He sure was. Certainly, coming here has turned out to be more profitable than going to the banquet. I suspect that such an event would have been nothing but another opportunity to parade us in front of the members of the Court.
“And…gorgeous too,” she adds with an impish smile.
“Tess…”
“Oh come on, I’m only human. It’s the eyes. There’s something about them that draws you in. Tell me you see it too?”
“I guess so. You’ve seen plenty of Hawks before, though, around Outer Haven.”
“Yeah, but never up close, and I’ve never spoken to one. Having them look directly at you…let’s just say I can see why Sophie chose him.”
“I doubt it was like that,” I huff. “I imagine it was him who chose her, not the other way around.”
“Well, whatever. She’s lucky, that’s all I’m saying.”
Personally, Rycard’s penetrating eyes aren’t what intrigue me most about him. It’s his frankness, his willingness to chat openly about these hybrids and the Nameless and the Stalkers who hunt them down.
Perhaps around here they’re a common topic of conversation, a current affair that the people discuss. And with him being a member of the City Guard, I guess it’s probably a fairly large concern right now.
Still, I haven’t heard a peep about any of this over in Outer Haven. I guess, until now, it’s been kept under wraps over on this side of the wall. Now, with the cryptic words of the mystery hijacker being televised across the city, everyone’s going to be talking about it.
Those words, though…I wonder what he meant.
I rack my brain and try to remember them.
He called us the oppressed. That our lives were a lie, that our freedom isn’t real. And that the Fanatics aren’t who we think they are.
What the hell does that all mean?
As I work to remember what else was said, I hear a door opening once more down the corridor, followed by two sets of footsteps.
I turn to see Rycard and Sophie emerge together, looking like quite the dashing couple. It looks like Maddox has been soothed back to sleep, his cries no longer audible.
“Sorry about all that, girls,” says Sophie. “But I’m glad it gave you an opportunity to meet Rycard. I hope he didn’t bore you too much.”
She grins, showing a bit more of her human side for the first time. I wouldn’t pin her as the playful type, but I’m happy to be surprised.
“Not at all,” I say. “Quite the opposite, actually.”
“Well that’s a rarity then,” jokes Sophie again.
Rycard rolls his eyes just a little. I suspect he gets this a lot when Sophie has guests over.
“Anyway, Maddox is sleeping now, so no more distractions. How about you stay for a bit of dinner? Your passes to Inner Haven won’t expire for a little while yet.”
Were she to have asked about ten minutes ago, before Rycard’s arrival, I’d have probably declined. Now, however, I’m only too happy to accept.
Tess also nods keenly. Her excitement at sticking around is for another reason entirely.
“Excellent,” says Sophie. “I’ll prepare the dining room. Rycard, fetch them some more drinks would you?”
She breezes off, leaving the th
ree of us alone again. I find it amusing, and rather surprising, that she appears to rule the roost around here. Despite her more ‘lowly’ standing, in this apartment, she’s the boss.
Perhaps it would be different in other households. I can’t imagine a Savant ever being ordered about by an Unenhanced, for example, and many regular Enhanced would probably balk at the idea as well.
I get the impression that Rycard isn’t like the rest. Other than his exceptional sight, he just seems like a regular man, one who commonly mixes with the people of Outer Haven and has gone so far as to marry one.
He’s proof that the divide isn’t really between the Enhanced and Unenhanced. More likely, it’s between all of us and the Savants…
As ordered, he offers us a drink. I tell him that water is just fine, and grab a flask from the table. Tess once more applies for a glass of whiskey, hoping it’ll work this time. Rycard appears more amenable.
“If we had some, I’d happily offer it to you. Unfortunately, we don’t.”
Tess crinkles her nose in disappointment.
“But we do have some apple wine, how about that?”
“Yes please!” says Tess.
It’s as if a single glass of whiskey has turned her into a raving alcoholic.
In order to not feel left out, I also accept the glass.
“It’s quite strong,” Rycard tells us, “so go easy.”
Tess appears to take the advice on board, and then goes straight ahead and guzzles down half the glass. The effect is fairly speedy, her attention on Rycard growing steadily more uncomfortable for me to witness.
Thankfully, he doesn’t appear to notice – odd to say for a man with such vision – and nor does Sophie when she returns and calls for us to follow her to the dining room.
Inside, the room is fitted with nothing but a basic table and chairs. Even the cutlery and tableware are bland. The food, however, is rather more tasty than I’m used to, owing perhaps to Sophie’s culinary skills.
“Around here, not many people cook for themselves,” she tells us as we eat a quite delicious stew. “Most food comes in packs that simply require heating, but I like to add my own personal touch. It’s a symptom of growing up in Outer Haven, I suppose. They cook a lot more over there, darling,” she adds, turning to Rycard, who attempts to look interested.
As we eat, I wait for an opportunity to further grill our hosts on what we heard today. I find it strangely odd that the subject isn’t being discussed already, and that no one has yet brought it up.
Presumably, that’s down to Sophie, who seems to adopt a ‘head in the sand’ mentality.
My curiosity, however, will not be held at bay for too long.
“Can we talk about what happened earlier?” I ask.
I assume bringing it up in a polite manner will make Sophie more cooperative.
The table goes silent.
“Oh, you mean the prank?” asks Sophie, sipping on her wine. “What’s there to talk about?”
“Well, the fact that it wasn’t a prank,” I say. “Rycard told us as much earlier.”
Her eyes widen briefly, before narrowing to a threatening level, guided like a heat seeking missile at her husband. For those few moments, they’re even more intense than his.
“I was just answering a few of their questions, Soph,” he says. “No harm done.”
“There might be harm done,” says Sophie through gritted teeth. “We shouldn’t be talking about this, Rycard.”
“Why not?” I query.
She turns to me.
“Because the Court doesn’t like rumours, Brie. I told you this yesterday. There’s no surprise why you haven’t heard about all this before…”
“Yeah, but now there’s no hiding it. Everyone across Outer Haven will be discussing it, there’s no way of getting around that now.”
“She’s right, Soph,” says Rycard. “You can’t quell curiosity…it’s a powerful force.”
He offers me the tiniest of winks, almost indiscernible but just about noticeable, and fills up his wife’s wine glass.
“Have a little more of that, darling. It’ll loosen you up a bit.”
Her glare grows fiercer.
I feel I have their attention now, at least.
“So, what did the guy on the screen mean then?” I ask. “All this talk of us living a lie and being oppressed. And what else did he say…something about a reckoning.”
“It’s nonsense!” exclaims Sophie. “It’s just fear-mongering. Clearly, my husband can’t keep his mouth shut, so you’ll know that these Nameless are hybrids. They’re just running scared and causing a fuss, that’s all.”
I look to Rycard for confirmation.
“That’s one way of looking at it,” he mutters.
“It’s the only way,” says Sophie. “They’re nothing but a bunch of rebels trying to destabilise things. They have no real power.”
“They have some power,” counters Rycard. “Look at what they did today.”
“Oh, hijacking a video feed. It’s hardly a revolution.”
“It’s a start,” he says. “I work for the City Guard. I know that the Nameless are being treated as a serious threat. It’s not quite as simple as you’re making out, Sophie.”
“And…this day of reckoning?” asks Tess. “What does that mean?”
This time, Rycard doesn’t seem to have an answer. He shakes his head and swills on his wine.
“I honestly don’t know. I suppose they have some grand plan, or something…”
“Do you think we’re in danger?” I ask. Memories of the Fanatics’ attack, only days before, murmur in my mind. “Will they follow in the Fanatics’ footsteps?”
Rycard is quick to douse such concerns.
“I don’t believe so. In fact, for my money, it’s the Fanatics who are the greater threat to those in Outer Haven. The Nameless are rebelling against the Court and their doctrine. The Fanatics, however, are against the civil liberties the Unenhanced enjoy. They’re warring against emotion, and see the Savants at divine figures. If there’s anyone to worry about, it’s them.”
“But they’re linked, aren’t they?” comes Tess’s voice. “The guy from the Nameless…didn’t he say something about the Fanatics not being who we think they are?”
Again, Rycard appears a little lost on that one.
“He said that, yes. All I know is that the Fanatics are regular Unenhanced who worship the Savants. They agree that logic is the only way forward, and that emotion should be eliminated. Clearly, the attack the other day was intended to spread fear, and to get more people to side with their beliefs. It’s them who concern me far more than the Nameless.”
I had no idea that all this was going on beneath the surface. This supposed utopia of Inner Haven isn’t quite what is seems. If what Rycard says is true, these Nameless are everywhere, hidden in plain sight.
It’s like they’re the opposite of the Fanatics, Unenhanced who are rebelling against the lives and culture and freedoms of their own people. Hidden among the streets of Outer Haven, performing regular jobs and seemingly, on the surface at least, just normal citizens.
Are the Nameless the same? Are they to Inner Haven what the Fanatics are to Outer?
Unfortunately, rather than loosening her up, the apple wine seems to be having the opposite effect on Sophie. I can see her growing visibly aggravated by the conversation, something that Rycard isn’t oblivious to himself.
To temper the storm, he suggests that we drop the discussion and turn our attention to other things, namely other aspects of life here in Inner Haven that might be of interest to us.
As we begin talking about how the two of them met, Sophie appears to climb back out of her shell. Tess, too, pricks up her ears and sets about learning the procedures involved in marrying up and finding a husband among the Enhanced.
Her affections for Rycard have now become abundantly clear to all, only made more pronounced by regular gulps of wine. When her glass is empty, she asks for a
nother. Sophie and Rycard, operating on the same wavelength now, tell her they don’t have any more.
The look they share suggests to me that it’s a fib. And a smart one, given how Tess is acting.
The dinner concludes soon after, Sophie announcing that our passes are to expire soon and that we need to pass back across the wall. She leads us to the door, where we get the opportunity to say goodbye to Rycard.
As he shakes Tess’s hand, she takes her chance to step in and give him a hug. He laughs as Sophie prises her away and leads her out of the door, saying ‘come on, let’s get you home’, as she goes.
Standing alone with Rycard now, I thank him for his hospitality and generosity, putting emphasis on the final word. I hope he gets that I’m talking about the information he provided.
The smile on his face suggests he does.
Before he ushers me through the door, however, he inspects me a little closer. His eyes intensify and I notice his pupils, hidden within his dark brown irises, begin to dilate and expand.
They stare straight into my eyes, unblinking, in a manner that reminds me of Deputy Burns. And as he does, a little frown begins to hover.
It only lasts a moment, and then he seems to snap out of it, smiling once more.
“Have a safe journey home, Brie. I’m sure I’ll see you around Outer Haven sometime.”
With a little nod, he turns and shuts the door, as his wife beckons me from down the hall.
14
The journey home is swift, my mind occupied.
We return to the self-driving car – a merciful function given the amount of apple wine Sophie has drunk – and cover the short stretch towards the western gate of the perimeter wall.
As before, the same Brute appears at the window and takes the necessary details from our guide. Confirming everything to be in order, he lets us pass, the gate once more splitting down the middle and revealing the western quarter of Outer Haven ahead.
As we re-enter the world I’m so intimate with, I look upon the streets with a slightly different eye. Partially, that is to do with the comfort of home, the feeling you get when returning to the place you know from somewhere that’s so alien.
