Chapter Two

The woman staring back at me in the mirror was like a stranger. Gone were the flowing blonde tresses that once fell to my waist. I felt a weird sensation as I passed my fingers through my short-cropped hair, a prerequisite for coming of age. I had dressed in a variation of the standard linen tunic, adding a roped belt, allowing me freedom of movement for the day’s climb.

The regulation tunic worn by most of Zantus’s female population allowed the individual to rely on character and intellect rather than be preoccupied with appearance. Men, however, were allowed colorful sashes of the finest materials. They could also wear bracelets and medallions, depending on their status.

As I descended the stairs, my mother’s mind projected her instructions from the kitchen. “Stay away from the Drock today!”

I sighed. I had heard this so many times before.

The Drock was a line of buildings on the border between the city and the garden fields. In these premises, a potent hallucinogenic concoction called Drax was sold. Drax, made from wild fungi and ethanol, was banned within the city limits but could be legally purchased and consumed in the Drock.

Mother’s message was particularly relevant today, as my age now permitted me entry.

Her second message was not to take unnecessary risks on the ice peaks I planned to climb, a message she knew I always ignored. The third was one I had received continually since my early childhood: “Skye, do not, under any circumstances, exercise your powers and bring attention to yourself.”

I had asked why many times, only to receive the same answer. “Because I forbid it.” Or, as I grew older, “Because we have a special ability that can be dangerous and must be concealed.”

I never understood why, in the whole world, it seemed, only Mother and I possessed the ability to manipulate minds. Today her warning seemed more dictatorial than usual. But as I walked into the kitchen, I was greeted by the usual smile and lengthy hug.

Looking at my mother was like looking at a mirror image of a slightly older version of myself; same build, tall compared to most women, physically lithe, same facial features, blue eyes, and now even a similar cropped hairstyle.

“The sun is particularly strong today, so the ice will be dangerous,” my father said, looking up from his breakfast. Strangely, I possessed none of my father’s looks. He was a heavyset man who adored my mother and me unconditionally.

         “We’ll be careful,” I replied, taking a wheat cake from the table.

“Remember: Dresna doesn’t have your abilities.”

Dresna, slightly older, was my colleague during harvest time. He was particularly resourceful when problems arose with the computerized harvesting machinery.

“I’ll be doubly careful,” I said with a laugh; then, noticing the worry etched on Father’s brow, I gave him a reassuring hug.

Retrieving my metallic climbing boots from the cupboard, along with a pair of inlays to prevent chafing, I zipped them onto my feet.

“See you tonight,” I said, giving them both another hug before grabbing my backpack and stepping out onto the pathway leading to the station.

“Stay away from…” again, Mother’s warning began to enter my mind, so I quickly walled off her counsel, knowing from experience that she would hound me to distraction for the rest of the day if I didn’t, and I needed to concentrate on the challenge ahead.

I passed dozens of technical staff heading for work on a raised glass platform. It was one of many across the farmlands that controlled the machinery working over thousands of square miles of agriculture.

Dresna was waiting at the station; his messy pale hair fell to his shoulders. He wore a white toga hitched around the middle, with baggy linen trousers tucked into his boots. We had been friends for years, despite being an unlikely pair.

While most students preferred to work on technical projects after each semester, I got my exaltation by physically conquering our planet’s ice-covered mountains. To me, this was the ultimate challenge. Dresna, on the other hand, joined me out of friendship, as I knew he would prefer to ascend mountains on his computer screen from the comfort of home.

As usual, I could sense his nervousness upon my arrival, especially now that his hope that I might somehow miss our ride had been extinguished.

“Morning, Dresna.” I chirped, hoping to dispel his nerves. I could telepathically replicate my confidence into his head, but Mother’s insistent warnings had always held me back from direct mental manipulation.

“Nice cut,” Dresna said, indicating my new hairstyle. “How does it feel to finally be of age?”

“Dangerous,” I said with a laugh as worry lines creased his brow.

We rode the Hipper, a superconducting levitation transporter that took city dwellers to and from the Drock, then proceeded onward to the edge of the ice lands. At speeds of over five hundred miles an hour, we passed computerized automotive harvesters and hovering seeding machines that dotted the landscape. Leaves as bright as jewels spun through the air in the Hipper’s wake. In the distance, the towering ice mountains stretched across the horizon. The ice lands covered two-thirds of our planet, sustaining a population of more than eighty million.

Our planet went through many centuries of transitional wars before our ancestors finally found a solution. A puritanical society: one governing body, one dress code, one hairstyle, and no drugs, except in designated areas. The singular city of Lutor thrived on education and technology. Our farming community accepted a program of socialism that filtered through every aspect of our lives. It was a harmonious existence, if predictable.

The Hipper completed its journey at a village tucked beneath the umbrella of a large glacier.

“Okay, farm boy, here we go,” I said.

I peered at the peak I had designated for our climb, located a mile across a treacherous frozen lake.

“Why do you always have to choose the most dangerous route?” Dresna groaned as I set off. It wasn’t a real question, just an appeal to moderate the pace.

“No one has fallen through the ice cap since forever.”

“How do you know? Are you some sort of authority?”

“We would hear if there were any fatalities.”

“There are no fatalities because no one ever ventures out here except idiots like us.”

“Rubbish! I’ve seen evidence that others have trekked these mountains. Anyway, think of the millions of people who lived here before the Ice Age.” I was quoting from information that was nothing more than general knowledge, but I hoped it would take Dresna’s mind off his fear of falling through into the icy waters and certain death.

         Finally, reaching the other side of the lake, we made our way across the moguls towards the glistening peaks emerging from several low-lying clouds.

         Maintaining a good pace, we arrived at the base of the mountain. I turned to Dresna. “A couple of energy bursts, and we’ll be gazing down at what was once a thriving metropolis.”

         Dresna stared up at the sheer cliff that towered above us. “Or we’ll be face to face with our ancestors,” he suggested sarcastically.

         I could sense his confidence slipping away.

“Don’t be so preoccupied with negativity.” I laughed to reassure him. Dresna grimaced as we removed the climbing lasers from our packs and attached them to the back of our hands, then added crampons to our boots to help with our footing on the ice.

“Let’s go,” I said, hoping Dresna’s confidence wouldn’t desert him completely.

Roped together, we climbed steadily, using hand-holds I lasered into the ice wall. I ignored Dresna’s continual groaning below me as I inched my way higher.

Halfway up the icy face, the rope went taut. Dresna screamed, the sound echoing off the ice wall. My fingers clamped deep into the ice as the weight of Dresna’s flailing body began to lever me off the mountain. I struggled to hold on.

“Skye, help!” he cried out in utter panic, thrashing about, trying to gain a foothold.

Cold sweat spread over my skin. My hands began to slip. “Stop fighting!” I yelled.

“I can’t…get… Skye!”

“Relax your body, Dresna!” My instruction penetrated his mind. I felt the pressure slacken. “Now secure a hand-hold.” My mind took control of his. “Use your laser.”

Dresna gradually began to concentrate. I felt confident enough to glance down to see him lasering out a new hand-hold and securing himself. “Now relax,” I said out loud.

We both clung to the ice wall, catching our breath.

“What happened?” Dresna asked, clearly perplexed.

“You fell.”

“No. Somehow you directed me, guided me back from the abyss.”

         “From the abyss? That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?” I said as I tightened the rope between us. “All I did was talk you down. You did exactly what we’ve been trained to do.” I worried about the confusion clouding his mind. “Hey, enough excitement for one day. Let’s get off this mountain and leave the peak for another day.” I sensed Dresna’s immediate relief at the thought of getting his feet back on solid ground.

A couple of hours later, we alighted from the Hipper. I could tell Dresna was still trying to comprehend how I had instructed him without a word spoken.

He stopped mid-pace. “Skye, what exactly happened up there? It was like you took control of my mind.”

         “I feel pretty shaken myself,” I replied, looking away. “How about we go and get a shot of Drax?”

“In the Drock?” he asked, shocked.

“No one will know,” I said. “It will calm our nerves before heading home.” I strode off towards the nearest Drock building. Dresna trotted by my side, continually looking around as though fearing his parents would suddenly appear at any moment. People milled around the entry to the windowless buildings. Others spilled out onto the roadway, their voices raised, obviously intoxicated. Security gave us a curious glance. Probably due to our dress and backpack, I thought.

I pressed my thumb to the control panel, and the door slid open. Dresna hesitated, then, gathering his confidence, followed me into the crowded interior.

I pushed through a throng of customers dressed in white togas, some with colored sashes around their waists. Several of them were already becoming belligerent. When I reached the bar, I pressed my thumb twice to the computerized services to place my order.

More than a month’s allowance automatically depleted my savings as two glasses of Drax shot up through an opening on the bar before me. Wow, Drax was an expensive stimulant!

“Here’s to our survival,” I laughed, handing a glass to Dresna, who was nervously glancing around the room. I took a sip of the clear liquid and grimaced. Why would anyone travel from the city for such a vile concoction? I thought.

Dresna nervously swallowed the contents in one gulp and gasped. His hand grabbed my arm for support.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

He nodded, but I could see his eyes losing focus. I held his arm to steady him, but he broke free and started to make his way toward the door. Before I could catch him, he stumbled into a tall, thick-set man, knocking the man’s drink over his companion. As Dresna fell, he reached out, grasping the tunic of a small dark-haired girl, ripping it from her upper body, leaving her naked to the waist. The thick-set man became enraged and lashed out with his fist, catching Dresna on the side of his head and knocking him to the floor. He followed up with a kick to his stomach. I leaped to Dresna’s defense, jumping onto the man’s back and digging my fingers into his face. He let out an agonized scream, swung around, and slammed my back into a metal post, causing my vision to blur into a collage of colors. My ears were ringing as I dropped from his back onto the floor.

A foot connected with my solar plexus, forcing the air from my lungs.

I blinked away tears that were filling my eyes. I looked over at Dresna, curled up in the fetal position. The bare-breasted girl, intoxicated by Drax and oblivious to her exposure, began kicking Dresna’s prone body. The crowd was shouting, encouraging the assault as though relishing the pain being inflicted.

Adrenalin coursed through my body like a mountain stream, washing away all reason as I concentrated on the sadistic antagonists before me. I penetrated deep into the mental sensors of the bully who had joined the girl and was about to bring a boot down on Dresna’s head. I halted the assault in midair with an excruciating telepathic mind intrusion, causing him to cry out, gripping his head between his hands. Within seconds I had the girl writhing on the floor beside him, attempting to shut out the pain engulfing her mind.

The room fell silent. A cold premonition washed over me as I recalled my mother’s warning. I picked myself up and staggered over to Dresna, helping him to his feet and half carrying him towards the exit door. The crowd moved away as we passed, giving us a wide berth. I didn’t look back at the damage I had perpetrated on our assailants. I could only hope that when they recovered, they would blame the Drax and not a girl who had somehow rendered them excruciatingly immobile.

Outside, the cold air was reinvigorating. I sensed Dresna’s questions formulating as we stumbled down the path toward our homes. I tried to think of an explanation that would sound reasonable.

Dresna blurted out, “Are you some kind of witch”? A witch was not the comparison I expected. “There’s something weird going on with you, Skye. You saved my life on the mountain, and now at the Drock...”

“It was the Drax that got to those two,” I said, trying to sound convincing. “Seriously, Dresna, you know what that concoction did to you.”

We reached Dresna’s home, and I stood for a moment contemplating whether to expand on my answer, but noting his questions had subsided, I decided to let any further response lapse.

“See you tomorrow?” I said.

“Sure. And Skye...”

“Yes?”

“Find another drinking partner in the future.”

I spent the next day with Father, checking the local water ducts that irrigated the farmlands. I often skipped school, but no one seemed to mind as my grades were always top of the class. I had the ability to absorb and process information without the need for hours of study.

On the way home from the gardens, I amused Father with a story about Dresna’s fear of walking over the civilization that once existed below the frozen lake. As we neared our house, I could see a government transporter parked out front.

Father’s hand reached out and brought me to a standstill. There were two security personnel standing in our doorway.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing, nothing.” He quickly cleared his thoughts before I was able to decipher anything further. “Let’s see what they want,” he said, striding forward.

The security men wore strange helmets I had never seen before— they were certainly not regulation. As we approached, I targeted my mind on each in turn, only to draw blanks. I was being blocked, which seemed impossible until I realized it must be the helmets.

I began to worry. Why would security wear a blocking device unless they knew of the powers Mother and I possessed? They smiled as if reading my mind and opened the front door for us to enter.

Father seemed oblivious to the helmets and hurried past. I followed him inside to find Mother sitting at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. Two officers stood beside her, each with similar headgear. Mother, without lifting her head, projected a warning. “Stay calm, my darling, and do not make a scene. I will explain everything.”

Father, on the other hand, was exhibiting panic as though he had been expecting this day for many years.

“What’s going on?” I said to the officer with a raft of emblems on his sleeve.

 “Skye?” he enquired, although he already knew the answer.

I nodded.

“You are to accompany us to the Capital.”

“Am I being arrested?”

Mother telepathically warned me again to stay calm. I realized the confrontation at the Drock must have been behind this. 

Mother lifted her head and looked directly at the officer. “Do you think we can have a moment alone with our daughter?”

The officer hesitated as if assessing the possibility of escape.

“We’ll be outside when Skye is ready,” he said, gesturing to his subordinate.

Father sank into a chair, a look of despair etched into his brow.

“I don’t know where to begin,” Mother said hesitantly. “We have lived this secret for so long….”

I sat opposite her, waiting for her to continue, knowing whatever revelations I was about to hear would have a far-reaching impact on my life.

“You know the powers we possess…” she paused as though trying to find an appropriate explanation. I reached over and placed my hand over hers, encouraging her to continue. She sighed in resignation.

“I was one of eight children chosen by the Council; programmed for a specific purpose…space travel.”

I looked at her, confused. “We were told at school that space travel had been abandoned many years ago.”

“The program was only shelved. Our scientists concluded that all the crew would have passed on in the time it took to reach the only known civilization similar to our own.”

“So why?” I asked, indicating to the officers outside.

“Galactic travel is back on the agenda. Apparently, they have solved the problem associated with warp velocity.”

“But why would the officer say I was to accompany them, not you?” I asked, perplexed.

“Tell her the truth, darling,” Father said.

“Yes, tell me the truth,” I pleaded.

“Before you were born….”

My father became emphatic. “The truth.”

I could see Mother was bordering on panic. She spread her hands in resignation. “My brain was genetically and biologically enhanced beyond anything nature could ever achieve.” She paused, wringing her hands, one over the other. “You were cloned…to take over my role if the program ever got back on track.”

Shocked, I looked at my mother in disbelief. I now realized why I had inherited her features and none of Father’s. I stood up and walked over to the window. So many questions I had asked myself over the years were finally being answered. Why I was so different from other children and why I possessed abilities that seemed abnormal.

Mother joined me, placing an arm around my shoulders. “It was estimated to be years away,” she said. “I along with others were to be kept in isolation with our children until a time when it might be possible to reinstate the program.”

I felt conflicted with a sense of sadness and excitement. Adrenalin pumped through my veins at the thought that I might be a part of this adventure.

“At the laboratory where you were cloned, I met your father, an analyst in genetics, and we fell in love. We hatched a plan to live a normal life together. Your father was able to falsify our DNA footprint in the capital’s database, allowing us to run from the city, and disappear into the farmlands. That is until your telepathic powers were discovered at the Drock.”

“I’m sorry. It was stupid, but I couldn’t allow Dresna to be beaten without doing something.” I said, embarrassed having brought this on my family.

“I know; however, the incident was reported to the Council, even to the Chairman himself,” Mother said grimly.

I felt terrible, but at the same time excited. “So, what happens now?”

“There are only two choices: one, you and I can run. We will be homeless but together.”

“What about Father?” Cloned or not, I couldn’t bring myself to think of him as anything but my father.

Mother looked at him sadly. “For us to have any chance at escape, your father will have to remain, but we can visit once we feel it safe to do so.”

“And the alternative?”

Mother, I knew, had already perceived what my decision would be even before she answered my question. Her eyes said it all; tears welled up in the corners. “You are to be inducted into the space program with the other cloned children.”