THE WORD LANDS like a cold stone in my stomach. Rejected. All my life I’ve been rejected by the system. Why did I let myself believe this time would be different?
Beside me, Kessa grabs at the backrest in front of her so hard that the whole row trembles. Her head twists from me to her dad.
‘Can they do that?’ she says to no-one in particular, and then to her dad, ‘How can they do that?’
Alistair rests a hand on my shoulder and squeezes, slowly increasing in pressure. His body is still, but his jaw is clenched, his red-rimmed eyes flashing anger, and something else too.
I lean close and whisper, ‘It’ll be okay.’ I don’t like seeing either of them this way. I still have the woman’s chip safe at home, a place at Karoly High. We knew this might happen.
Mason’s lawyer requests to approach the bench, and whispers urgently with the panel. Does this mean they see no value in time skipping? It’s hard getting my head around any of this. They know now that it’s possible. Did we make a huge mistake to give even that secret away?
Boc glances my way, shakes his head and hunches in to mutter with Amon and Echo again. There’s no victory in his expression, just confusion. And even though I should be devastated, I realise I’m not. At least, not as much as I thought I’d be. The outrage on all the faces around me is holding me up, keeping me from sinking too far. We’re sharing the disappointment together. They all thought I’d be granted citizen status; they all wanted me to become one of them. It counts for a lot.
At least the press gallery is empty, although that says something too. The government doesn’t want to make it public that someone applied for citizen status. If they did, they might be overrun by slimy illegals applying, right? Even that small fact reminds me how far outside the system I am.
The muttering stills and all eyes follow the lawyer as he comes back from speaking with the panel. With a slight shake of his head, he mumbles something to Mason. His meaning is clear. There’ll be no more negotiating today.
‘Let’s go.’ I stand and turn to Alistair. Don’t want to be here anymore. It’s not that bad, I tell myself. At least I still have a future thanks to the woman’s chip, even if it’s a much riskier one.
Kessa sticks close by my side, Alistair on my right, and I can’t help feeling as if their public show of support is somehow holding me up. Mason comes close and for a moment I think he’s going hug me, but then he cups the back of my neck in his palm and stares so hard into my soul that I think I might cry.
‘We’ll fix this, okay?’ His eyes are soft, but his jaw is hard.
I lift my hand to cover his wrist, holding onto the comfort in the disappointment. But people are watching, so I drop my hand again. ‘Let’s get out of here,’ I say.
I’ll have to head out of the city in case any police are watching. Already I’ve worked out a path, tracking out east on my bike before I loop back around, out of sight and off-grid. The route travels nowhere near the upriver regions of the Maribyrnong Canal. They think I grew up in the illegal settlement beyond the city, so there’s no way I’m leading them to the real one.
After that I’ll sneak back home, to Mum.
I’m heading out the door with Alistair, Kessa and Mason forming a triangle around me. It’s almost as if they’re carrying me out. Our small band forms a single line as we go one by one through the doorway. I’m following Kessa through to the other side when a hand grips my shoulder.
‘Come with us, Ms Karimi.’ The hand isn’t reassuring like Alistair’s was; it’s hard and tight, pressing me down.
I try to wriggle free, but before I can another hand grips my forearm, squeezing so tight that my wrist bones crunch. It’s a guard in boots and uniform, his head shaved and a stun gun sitting in the holster at his hip. Another guard stands beside him, his hand resting on a pair of handcuffs hooked on his belt.
‘What’s going on?’ Mason’s already by my side.
Alistair is on the other. ‘Is there a problem?’
‘A routine debrief,’ says the guard and pulls me by the arm. ‘This way please.’
This doesn’t feel routine. I stand firm and pull back my hand. No sooner is it free than it gets slapped with a handcuff.
A chorus of protest rises around me as my other hand is guided behind me and the second handcuff clicks into position. My arms get pulled back as the officer jerks on the handcuffs, testing that they’re secure.
‘We know the law. She’s free to leave the city,’ Mason declares. His voice rises as a call to the lawyer. ‘You can’t detain her just for being illegal.’
‘She’ll be released after the debrief,’ says the guard as I’m pulled so hard by the handcuffs that I stumble sideways.
‘I’m coming too.’ It’s a low voice but it still makes everyone pause.
Even the guard stops tugging at the handcuffs and turns back to see.
‘This is against protocol,’ Alistair calls louder. He might be old but anyone can tell just from his clothes that he’s a citizen on high-level rations.
The guard actually bows his head, aware that he’s speaking to a citizen with power and influence. ‘Sorry, sir. Orders are specifically for the subject on her own. You’ll have to approach the Department of Resources and Rationing for access.’
‘I am with the Department of Illegals. Show me your orders.’
‘You can apply to the DORR to see it, that’s all I know, sir.’
My whole body has turned cold, my heart barely able to beat. This can’t be happening. Maybe this is even against the law, what they’re doing. Is there a chance they’ve found out somehow about the stolen chip? If they haven’t, I’ve done nothing wrong. But that’s not reassuring me now.
The other guard steps forward to block the others, separating me from them.
‘Scout!’ I’m almost at the other end of the entrance foyer, when Echo calls out.
I nod minutely. They can help me escape if I time skip. As the guard pulls me away, I stretch three fingers as clearly as I can behind my back. Did they see? I’m not even sure if they’ll understand. I’ll return at 3am.
By now we’re out of the foyer area and I’m being marched down a long corridor. The question about teleporting during a skip suddenly snaps to the front of my mind. Do they suspect that I return to the same location? Even if I can’t know for sure, I have to be careful about where I am when I skip.
We near the end of the corridor, and I think we’re about to go into one of the back rooms, but then we turn and head outside to a car park. Ahead, a prison van is waiting. But right now, just for these ten paces, I’m outside.
This is my chance.
The guards have stopped speaking. They’re just marching me out now, following orders. I keep my pace steady, matching theirs. In another five steps we’ll reach the van and another enclosure that will lock me in.
There’s no time to hesitate. I step forwards, but before my foot touches the ground, I disappear.
I return to darkness and finish the stride I was halfway through as I left. Thunk. My knee rams something hard. I stagger backwards, stunned as the whole world seems to rattle.
No. With open palms I pat desperately in front of myself. Wire mesh blocks my path, stretching all the way around me. It’s a cage. I’m trapped.
I turn a full circle, trying to think. My eyes are adjusting to the little light there is, but it’s no help. My fingertips slip through the mesh and I rattle the cage, punishing the wire for my stupidity.
With one last shake, I rest my head against the mesh. Think, Scout. Think.
They must have suspected that I have to return to the same place, enough to try building a cage. Especially since they guessed right. I shouldn’t have stayed away so long for them to prepare for my return. But maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. Even if Echo understood the meaning of my three fingers, the authorities would have kept them from reaching me here. I have to face it; there’s no using a time skip to escape.
A flicker of light catches my attention; it widens and comes closer. Someone’s coming. I feel around for my clothes, but they must have taken them away, so I scramble into a corner and hug my knees, trying to cover my nakedness.
Soon I’m blinded by a light shining directly at me. I squint into it defiantly.
‘She’s back.’ It’s a man’s voice. He circles the cage, shining light at me the whole time as if trying to look at me from every angle. As he makes his way around the back I realise the two guards from last night are there as well.
‘Astounding,’ the man mutters once he reaches the front. ‘Time travel. A whole new frontier. I understand you first did it by accident?’
‘We explained that already,’ I snap. I hadn’t planned to say anything, but I can’t help myself. ‘We were going to tell you everything we know. All I asked for was citizenship. You don’t have to put me in a cage.’
The light dips. It’s as if he’s only just realised that I’m not a circus animal. ‘I understand … you’re frustrated. But some things …’ His tone falls. ‘I doubt you would have been helpful for long, given our plans. And we can’t have you teaching others how to do this.’
Plans? What is he going to do? I tighten my grip on my shins and take deep, calming breaths, trying to contain the rising panic. Alistair and Mason must be doing all they can, but what if they can’t get me out?
My eyes close, hating myself for how stupid I’ve been. I should have seen this coming. Once I shared my secret, I began trusting the people who care about me, I let them talk me into a dumb risk. But that was a mistake; they understand the situation way less than I do.
They trust the government.
Somehow the man opens the cage and lifts a blanket over my shoulders, then he pulls out a stethoscope device and rests it against my back. He’s wearing a plush polycoat, and I can see a chequered collar poking out the top. Pyjamas, I think.
‘Can your family also do this? Your friends?’ he asks as he holds the stethoscope in place.
Blood rushes to my head. He’s found out about Mum. And he’s worked out I’m friends with the others. But then I realise. He thinks I grew up with illegals outside the city limits. He’s asking about them.
‘No. None of them even know,’ I say quickly. Even though I hardly met them, there’s no way I’m putting them in danger.
The device beeps. ‘Okay. Let’s get you somewhere warm.’ He steps backwards out of the cage and holds the door open. ‘Come on. That knee might need to be checked.’ As if he’s a medic and I’m some sort of patient.
I don’t move.
Footsteps crunch on gravel as a guard steps forward. The man glances back at the guard then crouches in front of me so that we’re almost eye-to-eye.
‘Listen to me, Carolyn.’ His voice is even and calm, but that twists my terror even tighter. ‘Your friends tried to negotiate your release, and they have failed. Do you understand? And as of tomorrow, time travelling will be illegal.’
‘But …’ I try to contain the fear in my voice. ‘There are so many ways it can help people. Save lives …’
‘This is exponentially dangerous, Carolyn. You must realise that. We’re lucky no-one has already died. We can’t have any more people finding out about this. But we need to understand what we’re dealing with here.’ His voice softens and he peers at me again.
A shiver runs up my spine. I scramble for options. Alistair. Mason. Time skipping as escape … I’m coming up empty.
The man sighs. ‘Carolyn, listen to me. The harder you make things for us, the longer we keep you here. It’s as simple as that. The work we’re about to do is hugely important. Whether or not you co-operate, we are going to study your brain processes.’ He shifts on his knee as if the position is uncomfortable. ‘The sooner we understand how it works, the sooner you’ll be free to go.’
Free to go. I don’t trust him even a smidge, but even so I hold onto the words. Right now, they’re all I have.
I still have the woman’s chip safely stashed at home, and a place in Karoly High. If I can get through whatever tests they have planned, maybe they really will let me go. Maybe there’s still hope.
‘How long?’ I ask, deadpan. I don’t want him to see how much the answer matters.
‘Hard to say. Two weeks? Maybe more.’
I take my time to answer. ‘Promise to let me go in two weeks,’ I say. ‘If you do that, I’ll …’ My throat constricts. ‘I’ll do what you want.’
‘Yes, all right. Good.’ He’s breathing hard, falling over the words as if he can’t agree fast enough. He shuffles backwards out of the cage and holds the door open for me. ‘You just made your time with us a whole lot more comfortable, Carolyn.’
As if I had any choice.