| |
SEVERAL DAYS PASSED. Then days became weeks. Alexa continued moving heavier and more complicated objects while avoiding conversations with Rusty. He was persistent and noticed her increased absences. Alexa wasn’t sure how long she could hold him off with her half-hearted lies before he lost patience.
The Guardians began her education about Safekeeping policy and procedure, but the translations proved so poorly phrased that Alexa couldn’t understand anything. As a formerly excellent student, her new inability to comprehend or retain information frustrated her to the point of throwing her tablet across her cell. When she told the Guardians her troubles as they frowned over the tablet’s cracked screen, they promised to attempt another translation.
The only useful part of her day was her morning exercises. As Alexa’s telekinetic muscles strengthened, daily sessions left her more and more drained. Despite the exhaustion, her sleep patterns grew increasingly irregular. Dreams of home were achingly vivid. The empty hole in her chest where those she had loved and lost cratered deeper and deeper.
How long could she maintain her sanity? What she needed more than anything was a friend, a sympathetic ear, but Osu continued his prolonged radio silence. She attempted several times to reach him, but a mental wall stood between them. He didn’t know the Guardians were planning to relocate him and that they might ask Alexa to help with the process.
During post-lunch rest time, Alexa tossed and turned on her bed, wishing for a blanket to toss over her head or press to her chest. As the snores and grunts grew in depth and volume, soft footsteps approached her cell.
Alexa turned over to find the constantly smiling Guardian X, who then deactivated the invisible wall and gestured for Alexa to join her. They walked out of the cell block into one of the many enormous corridors.
“Great news. A fresh disabling device finally arrived today.” Guardian X paused at a door that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“You mean the kill switch?” Alexa touched the base of her skull.
“Yes.” Guardian X appeared to almost quiver with delight. “And more good news. My proposition for your modified position in the Residence has already moved to the next phase. Many of those in higher authority are interested in my plans.”
They walked down an exceedingly narrow, poorly lit hallway. Alexa wondered how a creature who was in reality much larger than Guardian X managed to navigate such a space. She would never forget the monster she beheld the last time her Blinders glitched.
The door opened, revealing a space-age operating theatre. A table big enough to fit a draft horse sat at the center of the octagonal room. A dozen high-wattage lamps blazed above the table. Their arrangement reminded Alexa of bulging insect eyes made of thousands of lenses. Near the top of the room’s walls lay a windowed gallery filled with Guardians.
“Please, sit here.” Guardian X directed Alexa to the enormous table. Beside it stood a single cart bearing a massive syringe. “As mentioned, we will place the device near your brain stem.”
“You’re sticking that in me?” The needle was at least a foot long with the girth of her pinky.
“It will only hurt for a second.” X patted the table.
“Can’t I get something to numb the pain?”
“Your reactions to our medications are extremely unpredictable, so we would prefer not to use an anesthetic. What if we give you too large of a dose, and you never wake up? I’ve been assured that this a brief and relatively painless procedure.”
“I’ve heard that before.” Fighting a wave of dread, Alexa heaved herself onto the table and turned away from the needle.
The anticipation of pain was sometimes worse than pain itself. Alexa had never watched when nurses stuck needles in her arm, and she wasn’t about to watch X shove a needle into her spine. Above her, the Guardians stirred, leaning closer to the observation window. Some smiled, some stared with fascination, while others appeared anxious to get it over with.
Guardian X said, “Hold perfectly still.”
Alexa inhaled, praying the pain wasn’t anything like the horrors she had experienced with the Inspectors. This time, the agony was more localized, as if someone took a scorching hot poker and thrust it against her flesh. Her cry of pain echoed through the chamber, the wail increasing in strength as a building fire ignited the back of her head.
Unspeakable agony seeped further, spreading along the base of her skull, down her spine, up and around the rest of her head, and blurred her vision. She grasped at consciousness for a moment, but her brain cleaved in two. A thick black curtain descended, and the world went dark.
***
Sunlight flickered against her eyelids.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” a familiar, warm voice whispered against her cheek.
Alexa didn’t have to open her eyes to recognize who had spoken. “Hey, Sid. What time is it?”
The pressure of a soft kiss on her mouth pulled her from her sleep. Sid hovered over her, his sultry smile spreading across his perfect face. Alexa brushed back his hair from his forehead. She tried to pull him closer, but he leaped to his feet.
“Did you see that?” Something had drawn his gaze. He raised a hand above his brows, peering off into the distance.
“What?” Alexa propped herself on her elbow, scanning the perfect mirror of Crater Lake. Wizard Island loomed in the distance, a shining emerald against sapphire water. A white figure bounded along the perimeter of the island.
The steep shoreline threatened to dump Alexa right into the cool mirror. Even on such a warm day, the water would be ice cold. “How did we get down here?”
“Una.” Sid pointed to the bouncing diamond, running impossibly fast among the scrubby trees dotting the island. He frowned as the unicorn splashed along the water, its panicked call trumpeting across the still lake. “No, that’s not Una. Una’s gone. You didn’t save the Bright One. You let it die.”
Clouds gathered on the eastern horizon. Tears welled in Alexa’s eyes as the unicorn cried out over and over again. “I tried. I wasn’t strong enough.”
“Help Osu, then.” Sid shrugged as if he didn’t ask the impossible.
“How?” Pressure built at the base of Alexa’s skull. “I’m just as trapped as he is.”
The pain in Alexa’s head built into a steady throb, each pulse rising with the beating of her heart. The tension gathered into a fist, slamming against the back of her head repeatedly.
“Alexa?” Osu appeared in Sid’s place in the body her Blinder gave him. “What’s happening to you?”
“It hurts.” She clutched the back of her head, her vision swimming. Clouds obliterated the sky, creeping in fat, dark fingers toward where they stood.
“I heard you scream.” Osu ran gentle hands along her skull. “What did they do to you?”
“My head.” Alexa whimpered as the black ceiling of clouds crashed down upon them.
Everything went black again. She blinked, and the dark curtain wavered. Voices murmured in hushed concern. Someone turned Alexa’s head and forced open her eyelid. Light pierced, and the throb in her head dulled. Alexa flinched away, throwing an arm over her eyes.
“What the hell happened?” Alexa croaked.
“You had an unexpected reaction to your implant.” Guardian X appeared beside her. Several other Guardians drifted around the operating theater, having intense but hushed discussions. “Which seems to be happening much too often with you, X485. Our technology just isn’t suited for Earthlings.”
Alexa reached to the back of her head, her fingers touching tender, puckered flesh. A sharp bite of discomfort made her whisper, “Ouch.”
“Don’t touch it!” Guardian X barked. Her voice was so loud and sharp that Alexa flinched. “Gods, how is your species not extinct? We just cleaned your wound and must do it again.”
The Guardian beside Guardian X rolled her eyes and pulled over a rattling tray full of bandages and ointments.
Alexa, are you well? Osu’s voice was so loud in Alexa’s head that she looked behind her to see if he somehow stood in the room with them.
“X485, can you please stop moving,” the Guardian, with a fresh handful of gauze, said in an annoyed tone.
“Yeah, sorry.” Alexa wasn’t used to seeing the façade of calm break away from her captors. She didn’t move or breathe as the Guardian gently cleaned her wound. Something stung against her neck. Alexa sucked in a whimper between her teeth.
Alexa? Osu repeated.
She wished she could speak to him but didn’t dare when surrounded by Guardians. Hopefully, he would understand.
Guardian X said, “Good news is, despite losing consciousness for ten minutes and having a bizarre rash all over the back of your neck, the procedure was successful. The implant is active and ready to go.”
“You mean ready to fry my brain?” Between the burn at the top of her neck, the itching sensation crawling down her back, and the dull vibration behind her eyes, Alexa was pissed.
“Yes and no,” Guardian X said. “This, in theory, could kill you. But we’re not savages here. This little device will simply knock you out if, for any reason, you lose control of your powers and must be subdued.”
“Cool,” Alexa grumbled.
The Guardian tending Alexa’s head wound peeked over her shoulder. “Are you cold? Do you need a blanket? Can you feel all your fingers?”
“It’s Earth slang,” Alexa grumbled. “Can I go lay down after this? Everything today has been too much. Ugh, I wish you had chocolate.”
“Yes, Guardian AA should be finished in a moment, and we’ll take you back to your cell. We’ll skip your MGA lessons for today. You look a little pale. Should I bring your dinner to your cell too?”
I heard you screaming, Alexa. What are they doing to you? I thought you were in league with the Guardians. Why would they harm you?
“I’m fine,” Alexa barked.
Guardian X and AA stepped back, surprised.
“Sorry. I’m like, really, really tired.” Alexa cradled her head in her hands.
“She can go.” Guardian AA nodded. “I’ll need to re-dress her bandages after exercises tomorrow.”
“Let’s get you back to your cell.” Guardian X helped Alexa off the table. “I’m sorry this procedure was painful, but I can’t help my excitement, X485. I have a feeling you’ll be a wonderful new addition to our Guardians. We’ll add a minimal dose of discomfort inhibitors to your evening meal to accelerate your healing process.”
I will speak to you later, Alexa. Something is wrong, and I may need your help.
“I’m here to help.” Alexa forced a pained smile.