Squeeze found Gwen sleeping in the chair next to Flicker. On her lap and surrounding her in a moat were reams of paper. He picked one up and read the first few lines; they were psychological notes mostly, with dictated conversations with ‘Helix’. From them he got a grim insight into the way the Authorities worked. All the Others were categorised as patients, subjects or just numbers. He looked down at Flicker and watched her breathe. They’d shared no more than a few words together, lived together in the same house and now she was in a coma. Careful not to disturb either of them, Squeeze sat at the edge of the bed and scanned down a wad of papers. It didn’t take long for one word in particular to leap out at him.
HELIX: I miss him.
DOCTOR: Helix. Can you tell me any more about your dreams?”
HELIX: There’s only the sound of the sea, lapping against the walls, eating away at them. They’ve seen it, they’ll all start to see it soon. You can’t keep us all locked up, we’ll find the secrets – the things they don’t want us to see. 715, she speaks to me in my dreams. She speaks to us all.
“Found anything you like?” Gwen muttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Squeeze jumped sheepishly and dropped the papers.
“Sorry.” He replied feebly.
“Don’t worry. It’s a fascinating read, I know.” She rubbed her neck and stretched.
“I was wondering whether I could have a word.”
“Of course, why shouldn’t you?”
Squeeze didn’t answer. To say that she hadn’t been honest or forthcoming with them was an understatement. Added to that, they’d have been captured had it not been for Vue and Core.
“Point taken,” she muttered grimly, stroking Flicker’s hand.
“I think we deserve some answers. I also think we should take steps to repair our image.” He blurted.
“You sound like a PR consultant.”
“We have to fight them at their own game. We have to change the way the public think of us and we can’t do that brooding in a basement.” Squeeze paused to see if he was getting through to her, she just sat there stroking Flicker’s hand, “With Core on the loose and the Elementals in disarray we have an opportunity to do something positive.”
Gwen sat up and looked at him. She was as exhausted as they all were. Months of living in a basement had done something to her. Squeeze felt stronger – she was listening.
“Despite their promises, the streets aren’t safe. The Wards have just made everybody more desperate. The people at the top who live in the nice safe Wards are exploiting the people at the bottom forcing them to commit crimes they wouldn’t normally do. Bark is a thief and he’s proud of that fact because it provides for his family. The only people who still think petty crime is a vice are the victims, people like my parents, who have everything but aren’t willing to give anything back.” Squeeze was standing up now, pacing the floor and gesturing with his hands. “If you stop the exploitation, the forced labour and restore hope, then the crime and suffering will slow down and the people will be happy. The authorities can’t give them happiness, it undermines them. We can.”
“You want to spread happiness?” Gwen asked with a weary smile. For a second Squeeze barrelled his chest to rebuff her cynicism, but she just laughed and stood up. “How do you intend spreading your happiness?”
“By doing what the Elementals do – we’ll help people, we can use our abilities to set an example and do everything in our power to stop the corruption.” Squeeze replied.
“And where did you learn all this? Not school, surely.”
“I listen to people; people my parents wouldn’t give a second thought to, people to whom crime isn’t a matter of choice or lifestyle, it’s just a simple necessity.”
“We’re talking about two very different types of crime here. Are you saying one is excusable while the other isn’t.” Gwen said, beginning to pace too.
“No, but if you stop the corruption then people like Bark wont have to steal to eat.”
She paused, beaming to herself, the fire seemed to be returning to her eyes. She looked over his shoulder. “Did you hear all that?” Squeeze turned around and heard footsteps on the stairs. Arc-Light, Bark and Malady appeared at the foot of the stairs. Squeeze blushed and turned away from them.
“We heard.” Arc-Light muttered, her voice unreadable.
“I owe you all some answers,” Gwen said, taking a deep breath. She began to gather her notes and papers together. “I want you to read my notes on Helix and the Others at Cefn Coed. I want you all to know as much as I do.”
Bark nodded, looking down at the file he was handed. “What are we going to do about Vue and Core?”
“They’ll leave them alone for a while, I think.” Gwen replied, handing more files to the others, “They have bigger problems.”
“Like what?” Arc-Light asked.
“They saw everything you did down in the bunker. What were your impressions?”
“It was obviously a facility for distributing something throughout the city. It had all of the Wards on a big screen. There were rooms filled with sealed cans and access to the water supply.” Arc-Light replied.
Squeeze nodded, “They all saw it. Beacon in particular, he was the one piecing it together.”
“The Elementals will be taken to see in-mate 715. When I first heard of her she was just a number – it meant nothing. Then as I got to interview the Others at Cefn Coed I began to understand what they’re doing.” She sat down next to Flicker and patted her leg. Malady was sitting next to her, stroking her hair. “They keep the most powerful Others; mercifully, there aren’t that many. 715 is just a random number, in reality she is number 5 of 5. Her power is the ability to exist in dreams, once there she can change things at a subconscious level. They’ll use her to manipulate the minds of the Elementals and change what they saw.”
Squeeze felt sick, Malady was the one who managed to voice his fear. “Siren.” Gwen nodded, “She wont remember a thing and I daresay she'll be more aggressive and pro-Elemental than ever.”
“How can they use these kids though, surely they wouldn’t help them?” Arc-Light spat, translating everyone’s disgust into words.
“Practice.” Gwen replied, as if it were that simple. “Then there are the breeding programmes.”
“The infant in the lamp?” Arc-Light whispered. “You’ve seen one?” Gwen was stunned. They all nodded. “That says a lot. They wouldn’t have risked the public seeing one of those six months ago. They must be stepping things up.”
“We have to get Vue back – we have to ask him what he was doing there,” Squeeze continued, “He risked everything to get Core out – what on earth happened to her?”
Gwen looked up, “I don’t know. She was the only girl in the old Elementals. She was a bit of a tomboy. I think deep down most people had given up on her. Vue must have known she was still alive.” She shook her head sadly, “He always did have a bit of a thing for her. She could control stone – maybe she got trapped and that changed her. I can only guess.” Gwen shrugged and stood up. “Squeeze is right, we need to make a move. The Elementals will soon be back in force and the authorities will flush us all out. Before then we need to make an impact.” Gwen continued, wringing her hands until they went white. “We’ll start with the Sandfields.” Bark clapped his hands excitedly and leaves fell from his back. Unconsciously they all looked to Malady. She hadn’t spoken and they all felt that they needed her consent to continue. Something had hardened in her and they could all sense it.
“She held my hand.” Malady said, not looking up but sensing them watching her while she stroked Flicker’s hand. “She looked after us both. We should get her back.”
HELIX: I miss him.
DOCTOR: Helix. Can you tell me any more about your dreams?”
HELIX: There’s only the sound of the sea, lapping against the walls, eating away at them. They’ve seen it, they’ll all start to see it soon. You can’t keep us all locked up, we’ll find the secrets – the things they don’t want us to see. 715, she speaks to me in my dreams. She speaks to us all.
“Found anything you like?” Gwen muttered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Squeeze jumped sheepishly and dropped the papers.
“Sorry.” He replied feebly.
“Don’t worry. It’s a fascinating read, I know.” She rubbed her neck and stretched.
“I was wondering whether I could have a word.”
“Of course, why shouldn’t you?”
Squeeze didn’t answer. To say that she hadn’t been honest or forthcoming with them was an understatement. Added to that, they’d have been captured had it not been for Vue and Core.
“Point taken,” she muttered grimly, stroking Flicker’s hand.
“I think we deserve some answers. I also think we should take steps to repair our image.” He blurted.
“You sound like a PR consultant.”
“We have to fight them at their own game. We have to change the way the public think of us and we can’t do that brooding in a basement.” Squeeze paused to see if he was getting through to her, she just sat there stroking Flicker’s hand, “With Core on the loose and the Elementals in disarray we have an opportunity to do something positive.”
Gwen sat up and looked at him. She was as exhausted as they all were. Months of living in a basement had done something to her. Squeeze felt stronger – she was listening.
“Despite their promises, the streets aren’t safe. The Wards have just made everybody more desperate. The people at the top who live in the nice safe Wards are exploiting the people at the bottom forcing them to commit crimes they wouldn’t normally do. Bark is a thief and he’s proud of that fact because it provides for his family. The only people who still think petty crime is a vice are the victims, people like my parents, who have everything but aren’t willing to give anything back.” Squeeze was standing up now, pacing the floor and gesturing with his hands. “If you stop the exploitation, the forced labour and restore hope, then the crime and suffering will slow down and the people will be happy. The authorities can’t give them happiness, it undermines them. We can.”
“You want to spread happiness?” Gwen asked with a weary smile. For a second Squeeze barrelled his chest to rebuff her cynicism, but she just laughed and stood up. “How do you intend spreading your happiness?”
“By doing what the Elementals do – we’ll help people, we can use our abilities to set an example and do everything in our power to stop the corruption.” Squeeze replied.
“And where did you learn all this? Not school, surely.”
“I listen to people; people my parents wouldn’t give a second thought to, people to whom crime isn’t a matter of choice or lifestyle, it’s just a simple necessity.”
“We’re talking about two very different types of crime here. Are you saying one is excusable while the other isn’t.” Gwen said, beginning to pace too.
“No, but if you stop the corruption then people like Bark wont have to steal to eat.”
She paused, beaming to herself, the fire seemed to be returning to her eyes. She looked over his shoulder. “Did you hear all that?” Squeeze turned around and heard footsteps on the stairs. Arc-Light, Bark and Malady appeared at the foot of the stairs. Squeeze blushed and turned away from them.
“We heard.” Arc-Light muttered, her voice unreadable.
“I owe you all some answers,” Gwen said, taking a deep breath. She began to gather her notes and papers together. “I want you to read my notes on Helix and the Others at Cefn Coed. I want you all to know as much as I do.”
Bark nodded, looking down at the file he was handed. “What are we going to do about Vue and Core?”
“They’ll leave them alone for a while, I think.” Gwen replied, handing more files to the others, “They have bigger problems.”
“Like what?” Arc-Light asked.
“They saw everything you did down in the bunker. What were your impressions?”
“It was obviously a facility for distributing something throughout the city. It had all of the Wards on a big screen. There were rooms filled with sealed cans and access to the water supply.” Arc-Light replied.
Squeeze nodded, “They all saw it. Beacon in particular, he was the one piecing it together.”
“The Elementals will be taken to see in-mate 715. When I first heard of her she was just a number – it meant nothing. Then as I got to interview the Others at Cefn Coed I began to understand what they’re doing.” She sat down next to Flicker and patted her leg. Malady was sitting next to her, stroking her hair. “They keep the most powerful Others; mercifully, there aren’t that many. 715 is just a random number, in reality she is number 5 of 5. Her power is the ability to exist in dreams, once there she can change things at a subconscious level. They’ll use her to manipulate the minds of the Elementals and change what they saw.”
Squeeze felt sick, Malady was the one who managed to voice his fear. “Siren.” Gwen nodded, “She wont remember a thing and I daresay she'll be more aggressive and pro-Elemental than ever.”
“How can they use these kids though, surely they wouldn’t help them?” Arc-Light spat, translating everyone’s disgust into words.
“Practice.” Gwen replied, as if it were that simple. “Then there are the breeding programmes.”
“The infant in the lamp?” Arc-Light whispered. “You’ve seen one?” Gwen was stunned. They all nodded. “That says a lot. They wouldn’t have risked the public seeing one of those six months ago. They must be stepping things up.”
“We have to get Vue back – we have to ask him what he was doing there,” Squeeze continued, “He risked everything to get Core out – what on earth happened to her?”
Gwen looked up, “I don’t know. She was the only girl in the old Elementals. She was a bit of a tomboy. I think deep down most people had given up on her. Vue must have known she was still alive.” She shook her head sadly, “He always did have a bit of a thing for her. She could control stone – maybe she got trapped and that changed her. I can only guess.” Gwen shrugged and stood up. “Squeeze is right, we need to make a move. The Elementals will soon be back in force and the authorities will flush us all out. Before then we need to make an impact.” Gwen continued, wringing her hands until they went white. “We’ll start with the Sandfields.” Bark clapped his hands excitedly and leaves fell from his back. Unconsciously they all looked to Malady. She hadn’t spoken and they all felt that they needed her consent to continue. Something had hardened in her and they could all sense it.
“She held my hand.” Malady said, not looking up but sensing them watching her while she stroked Flicker’s hand. “She looked after us both. We should get her back.”
3 comments:
Excellent stuff, it's like you've stepped up everyone's character development about three notches in one go. I love the idea of these breeding programmes to get the babies in the lamps, it's dystopian as. There's a general feel of the plot developing into its hardcore final stage, and its distinctly exciting.
One question, then: can Malady heal Flicker?
Yes. I'm distinctly excited about character development at the moment. It's both sexy and fun. The thing is, most of the characters are coming to conclusions about what their priorities are so, from here, it's going to be fun seeing what they do.
Yes- I noticed the way that the characters are beginning to draw up and together.
I'm interested to see where it all starts to go from here.
I also love the idea of what 715 is- reminds me of Aboriginal Dream Time.
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