Stephen’s visit to District Eight left him with an unsettled feeling. Things were bad there. Whether Gabriel wanted it or not, Stephen would find a way to help him. How did his own district stack up against the animosity he’d felt in Gabriel’s? He hoped Anton and Arianna could find out.
Serena had retired for the evening, but sleep would not come for Stephen. He walked the tunnels like Elise used to do; it made him feel more connected to the former elder. His charges were nowhere to be seen. Not surprising since they’d given him and Serena a wide berth ever since the GS humans built their environ three months ago. Their murky, yellow-grey auras indicated their unrest and disappointment at Stephen and Serena’s inaction against the GS.
What could he do? He didn’t know what abilities the GS had. To go in guns blazing would be a bad idea. So far the GS hadn’t done anything, but that didn’t matter to some.
Stephen encountered three Indigenes older than him on his walk through the tunnels. He sensed an edge to their moods, as though they expected everything to fall apart. He greeted them with a nod and kept walking. He hated not knowing what was coming. His envisioning ability usually gave him some indication. How had he coped before that ability manifested? Maybe Anton and Arianna could get a clearer view on the situation.
He sensed his two friends in a distant part of the district but couldn’t get a read on them. Not unusual since Serena had taught Anton and Arianna how to mask their feelings from others, including their auras from Stephen. It had frustrated him that he could neither feel nor see his friends’ moods. But his lack of foresight irritated him more.
What blocked his ability, kept his visions too far out of reach? It had to be the GS 100. Nothing had changed as dramatically as they had. Yet the others still had their abilities, including Serena.
Stephen passed through the core of District Three, normally a hotbed of activity ranging from Evolver classes to a social space for older Indigenes. But that evening, it was unoccupied. The sound of his footsteps echoing from the rough, stone floor to the rounded ceiling made him shiver. He quickened his step when it felt like unseen eyes watched him.
He entered a tunnel that would lead him to the Council Chambers where he would soon meet Anton and Arianna. His stride, normally long and even, became short and fast. These days he couldn’t switch off his cluttered mind. It had been over a month since he’d used the Nexus to heal, but he never had the time.
The chambers came into view and he entered through the already open door. Anton and Arianna waited with Serena.
He frowned at his mate. ‘I thought you’d gone to bed.’
‘Arianna came to get me.’ Serena laced her fingers through his. ‘I want to be of use.’
So did he. Stephen kept his gaze low as Serena pulled him farther inside the room. His lack of envisioning skill made him feel obsolete. Auras were all he had left and Anton and Arianna had none to help him understand their mood. He loved Serena, but by passing her mind tricks on to his friends, she had emasculated him.
Stephen pulled his fingers out of hers and pressed them to his head.
‘Are you okay?’ said Serena.
He kept his thoughts private. ‘Nothing, I’m just tired.’
He sounded like Pierre, who used to keep things from Elise. He shook the comparison from his head and engaged with the others.
‘What did you discover?’
Serena closed the door.
‘It’s not good,’ said Anton.
He paced while Arianna kept still, except for her eyes, which tracked him around the room. She had to feel Anton’s anxiousness. That’s how it was for empaths. They felt everything. Too intensely, according to Arianna.
‘The younger Indigenes take their guidance from those older than them and younger than us. When the GS humans came into being, the young wanted to see what the new species looked like. But their peers talked them out of it, said they would see them soon enough when they came to this district to kill everyone.’
‘That’s a pack of lies,’ said Stephen.
‘It is, but it’s the lies they’ve been told.’
‘And they told you this, willingly?’
Anton stopped pacing. ‘No. I read fragments of their thoughts. Arianna sensed their mood, which they really couldn’t hide from her anyway. They’re too young and unpractised at hiding much from an empath. On the walk here, Arianna and I pieced together the knowledge we both had and came up with this.’
Stephen preferred cold, hard facts, not guesswork. ‘So this might not be a true account of what happened?’
‘We both know how to read the Indigenes. Arianna and I are in tune with each other’s thoughts.’ Anton stared at Stephen. ‘If you could stop acting like a control freak for two seconds, I’ll tell you what else we learned.’
Stephen matched his friend’s stare. ‘Go ahead.’
Anton rolled his eyes. ‘As I was saying, the young are being fed lies about the GS humans’ intentions. They allow the older ones to control them.’
‘What about the Indigenes taking control, Anton?’ said Serena. ‘What are their reasons?’
‘Initially, it was to stop the young from acting out, from doing something stupid. So they scared them into behaving themselves. Their curiosity about the new species was getting out of control.’
Stephen looked away. It was his job to control his charges.
‘And now they trust the older Indigenes, not me.’
‘Exactly.’
Arianna continued. ‘While we questioned the young and got nothing from them, one let his thoughts slip through. Their peers have been going out on nightly vigils to watch the GS humans. They saw a group of humans doing the same thing. They watched the group for a few weeks before approaching them. Naturally, trust issues and hostility presented on both sides, but when they realised their issues were the same, some of the older ones joined them.’
‘This is how the groups came to be?’ said Stephen.
‘I believe so,’ said Arianna.
‘You saw all that in this young Indigene’s mind?’ said Serena.
Arianna nodded. ‘He witnessed it when he followed the older ones to the surface. It was his memory of the event.’
Anton paced again. ‘The older ones meet regularly with the humans to discuss mutual goals. One of those goals is to weaken the hold the GS humans have on this planet.’
Stephen couldn’t see how they might achieve that. ‘By what means? We cannot read the GS humans’ minds, so that rules out an attack.’
‘By more conventional means, Stephen,’ said Serena.
‘Exactly.’ Anton stopped pacing but Stephen sensed his wild energy. ‘The rogue humans want to overthrow the ITF policing structure, which will weaken the influence the GS has over matters.’
Stephen smiled and shook his head. ‘That won’t work. The GS have no interest in matters on this planet.’
‘He’s right; they don’t,’ said Serena, looking at Anton. ‘What can they gain from that?’
Anton had no answer. But Arianna suggested one. ‘What if the humans have no interest in the GS humans, but are using it as an excuse to gain the Indigenes’ trust?’
‘For what purpose?’ said Stephen. ‘Why take over the ITF? It will make no difference to the activities here.’
Anton’s eyes grew large. ‘What if the rogue humans don’t care about the ITF hierarchy, Stephen? Maybe they just want to destabilise the treaty and ITF, to upset the balance.’
Arianna continued. ‘So a new power can take over?’
Anton smiled as though something clicked into place. ‘Just like what happened on Earth.’
At least Stephen understood one side’s motives in this. ‘So this is about power. The GS and their lack of interest in affairs have created a natural crack in society. Some elements, one of whom Bill Taggart has met with, wish to widen the crack. Forget about Earth. We all know what happens when humans rock the status quo. We end up a casualty in this war.’
Everyone nodded. He recalled the events of eight years ago that had led to the treaty’s establishment.
But he still didn’t understand the motive of the rogue Indigenes. ‘We know what the humans set to gain in this disruption, but what do the Indigenes get by disbanding the peace treaty?’
Arianna stepped closer and lowered her voice, even though the room was soundproofed. ‘I felt something from them as strong I feel your worry, Stephen. They’re sick of being told what to do. The younger ones don’t remember the issues during Pierre and Elise’s reign, only the events that have happened since the treaty came into force. They don’t see its purpose. They’re restless and on the hunt for a new way to live.’
It didn’t surprise Stephen to hear that. Gabriel faced the same issue in District Eight. ‘That’s the young’s motives sorted, but their peers who remember life before the treaty—what do they want? Don’t they realise the treaty is a good thing?’
Serena touched his arm. ‘Don’t take it personally, Stephen.’
‘I don’t.’
He eased his arm away. He had negotiated the treaty but should he have pushed for more? For equal rights to the humans?
‘The older ones want what we do: equality,’ said Arianna.
‘It’s not possible.’
He’d negotiated the best deal available at the time.
‘Yet we are friends with the powers who run this world—the ITF.’
Stephen shook his head. ‘The ITF does the bidding of the old system, of the GS humans. Bill and Laura do not operate with autonomy. There is no government here, only a police force. There’s no way to make a new treaty stick. We do not live in a democratic society, or even an autocratic one. Our society sits atop a shaky treaty that’s about to be ripped apart by radicals on both sides. Ironically, we need the GS humans. If they didn’t exist, the ITF would have been overthrown years ago.’
‘So why not overthrow it now?’ said Anton. ‘Why meet with Bill in a civilised way when it would be easier to demand his power?’
‘Because this isn’t Earth,’ said Stephen. ‘The criminals aren’t in the majority here. Enough good people live here to keep our treaty alive. And Bill has his underground contacts. These radicals have to know about them, just not who they are.’
Serena folded her arms. ‘I sympathise with both sides, but can’t we find a solution to suit both parties?’
Stephen didn’t know if it was possible. But one question remained unanswered. ‘Anton, Arianna, did you find out anything about the GS humans’ plans from your dealings today?’
To his disappointment, they both shook their heads.
‘Besides stealing a bit of power, nobody knows more than that about them,’ said Anton.
At least they had someone on the inside of the rogue groups. An Indigene called Clement.