The Elders (25 page)

“I’m sorry,” I say honestly. “The monkey was trained to touch you under very special, non-romantic circumstances. Please go on.”

“Indeed, she was trained to pull
me whenever we placed a mirror in front of her and covered her
ears to make sounds go away—conditions that simulate a Split. The conditioning worked, as did my device, because she pulled me into the Mind Dimension.” He says this with a hint of defensiveness in his voice. “So, in part, that was a success.”

“A phasing chimpanzee,” I mumble wonderingly and walk over to the ape in question.

“Indeed,” he says without the enthusiasm I would’ve expected.

“Okay,
give me the
but
,” I say and fluff the fur (or is it hair?) on Kiki’s head.

“We couldn’t replicate the experiment afterward,” Eugene says. “And here’s what’s most worrisome: she’s no longer Readable.”

I try to Read Kiki, just to see it for myself.

“You’re right,” I say after a few moments. “She’s not.”

Eugene nods. “It’s almost as though she’s gone Inert. An unanticipated outcome.”

“Could
it be that something about chimpanzees is different from humans when it comes to that region of the brain?” I ask hopefully.

“That’s exactly what Bert said. Then he convinced me to test the device on him.” Eugene gestures at my disheveled friend.

“By your expression, I’m guessing that version didn’t go much better?”

“Bert entered the Mind Dimension, pulled me in, and after merely a moment,
we Split, leaving the Mind Dimension behind. Since then, he’s been as resistant to Reading as Kiki. Needless to say, the machine didn’t work on him again.” Eugene wearily runs his fingers through his hair. “Please try to Read him, just to make sure it’s not something to do with me.”

I touch Bert’s forehead and enter the state of Coherence.

Nothing. Not even the white noise I get with the monks.
It’s as if I’m touching a doorknob.

“Nada,” I say. “But maybe it would work better on one of us?”

“I was contemplating testing it,” Eugene says, “but I was afraid.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” I say without a hint of hesitation. “You’ve got yourself another lab rat.”

“Darren, you don’t understand—”

“Oh, I do.” I can no longer keep the urgency out of my voice. “If I don’t, a lot of people will
die, including Mira.”

“What?” His eyes widen. “What happened?”

I tell him everything. When I finish, instead of panicking, Eugene starts moving around the van. He looks as if he’s tidying up the place, and I’m so confused that I ask, “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m setting up the device,” he explains curtly and continues.

I watch him prepare, impressed by his cool-under-pressure demeanor.

“Try this on.” He throws me what used to be a bicycle helmet. With the many holes drilled through it, it now looks more like a pasta strainer.

I put on the device and adjust it; my head is much bigger than Bert’s.

“Good,” Eugene says and takes the helmet back.

He then proceeds to thread a bunch of cables through it.

“Help me with this.” He points to a big device in the corner—the brains of
the TMS machine I bought him.

I help him lift the heavy machine onto a funky cart with big wheels. “Why the cart? Where are we going?”

“From what you’ve told me, you have to be in the proximity of your target when in Level 2,” Eugene says. “So we’re taking this to the Temple.”

“Oh.” Fighting confusion, I watch Eugene place the helmet and a bunch of peripherals onto the cart.

“Let’s go,” he
says and rolls the cart down the ramp attached to the U-Haul.

“Wait,” I say. “Something just occurred to me. How am I going to use this thing? Technology doesn’t work in the Quiet. Not to mention, we have no idea if it will actually work.”

He doesn’t reply as he goes back into the van.

“Here, start turning this,” he says, handing me a gizmo that looks like a can opener. A cable connects it
to a square piece of metal.

I eye the device dubiously. “What the hell is this?”

“A wind-up USB charger with a battery,” Eugene explains. “I also rigged one so that the turning wheels of this cart will charge it.”

I turn the thingy, but my face must look confused, because Eugene adds, “This has to do with technology in the Mind Dimension.”

He starts walking, pushing the cart in front of him,
and I follow.

“It’s only very delicate technology that has a problem with subparts being frozen,” he says. “For example, the liquid crystals in LCD screens, or the electrophoretic technology that’s behind the Kindle display. As you know, things like wind-up watches and guns do work, as well as many other gadgets, including the majority of electrical ones. It’s just that most screens look dead.
Also, worse than the display problem is the fact that the power source of most devices doesn’t flow electricity, which includes batteries. They don’t retain their charges. Since batteries and screens are so ubiquitous in current technology, and so important—not to mention that nearly everything requires a live current—you and many others have gotten the impression that technology doesn’t work in
the Mind Dimension.”

“Interesting,” I say. I recall the book I started to read on the Island. Had I gotten a chance to leaf through it, I wouldn’t be feeling so dumb. “You’re telling me that this machine has no screen?”

“Well, it does have a screen,” Eugene says. “But I know how to work it blind, and I made sure the screen is not integral to critical functions.”

I wave the USB-charger thingy.
“And this charges it?”

“Exactly,” Eugene says. “It should all work.”

“It has to work,” I say, giving the USB charger a good whirl.

“I did tests,” he says reassuringly. “It will power up in the Mind Dimension. The part I’m less sure about is what will happen once you use it.”

“You think it won’t take me to Level 2?” I ask as we enter the forest.

“It should.” Eugene manages to push the cart
through the tricky terrain. “But I am more worried about what will happen after.”

“You mean I’ll be made Inert?”

“No, Darren,” he says hesitantly. “I mean you might never regain your abilities at all.”

Chapter 22

F
or a few moments, we walk in silence. I’m speechless. I assumed his machine might make me Inert and hated the idea, but to become completely powerless is another matter entirely. I can’t even imagine such a life; it’s unthinkable. Yet I don’t see any other choice. I can’t let people die.

More specifically, I can’t let Mira die.

In case Eugene is worried, I say, “I’m still
going to do it.”

“I know,” he says, brushing it off. “And you have no idea how much I appreciate you doing this for my sister.”

“Are you sure I’ll end up—”

“We did the test on Kiki a day ago. According to my dad’s notes on the subject, she should’ve recovered after an hour. But she’s still Inert,” he says, shooting me a pitying glance.

“But there’s a chance she’ll recover, right?” I ask. “Your
dad isn’t infallible, is he?”

“Listen,” Eugene says. “Maybe there’s an alternative to you Splitting into this Level 2. Can the situation be resolved in some other way?”

 
“I can’t think how,” I say. “There’s no one near that room, so I can’t Guide someone else to save her. And Thomas is being Guided, which means he won’t listen to reason. I tried reasoning with Mira the other day; it’s useless.
Overriding Thomas is the only viable way to save Mira. Plus, there’s Richard, who’s about to kill my grandfather, and Kate and her friends, who’ll kill the rest of the monks and Caleb.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t work out a safer solution for you.”

“Enough of this,” I say, giving the USB charger increasingly vigorous spins. “Let’s just work out a plan.”

“Well, we’ll need to pull in every player,”
Eugene says. “Everyone you plan on overriding, that is.”

I stop spinning the charger and look at him. “What? Are you crazy? They’re trained warriors. If we pull them in, they’ll make us Inert in seconds, and then I can’t use your device to save anyone.”

“I understand, but I don’t see any other choice.”

“Why?”

“From what you told me, you couldn’t see any patterns on Level 2 that were not already
in the regular Mind Dimension. Am I mistaken?”

“No,” I say thoughtfully, realizing I never gave it much thought.

“Well then,” he says, “since we only get one chance at this, we must recreate these conditions as best as we can.”

“But you haven’t seen Kate fight.” I gingerly resume turning the wheel in my hands. “Our survival rate—and our chances of keeping our powers—just plummeted.”

“Didn’t
you say Caleb is on our side?” Eugene glances at me. “Surely that should help.”

 
“I’m not sure even
he
can take her,” I say. “And she’s not alone. There are three of them in front of the Temple—Kate, James, and Eleanor—and they’re probably each more capable than our prickly friend. That’s not counting John, if he hasn’t been killed yet, or Richard, who’s on the other side of the Temple. And let’s
not forget Thomas—our key target—who’s also not a pushover.”

“Maybe we focus on Thomas and save Mira,” Eugene says.

A part of me is tempted to agree with him, but I can’t let my grandparents die, no matter how big of an asshole Paul is. The monks also don’t deserve to be slaughtered. Besides, when I think about it more, I realize we don’t even have the cowardly option.

“No,” I say. “Even if
I stop Thomas, Kate or the others could replace him in minutes, after they finish off all the monks, which shouldn’t take them long. Even if I make it to the Temple in time, I can’t stop someone like Kate from using force.”

“Blya—I mean,
bitch
,” Eugene says, his accent coming through. “What do we fucking do then?”

“Let me think for a bit,” I say. “Once we get there, we can consult with Caleb
and Rose.”

* * *

We arrive at the Temple entrance, and Eugene looks in horror at the chaos surrounding us.

“It’s a sacrilege,” he whispers.

Even though it’s not my first, or even second time taking in this picture, I’m just as disturbed as he is.

“Whoever did this, I hope I get to make them pay,” I say.

“Do you have a plan now?” Eugene asks. “Because my brain capitulated.”

I turn
toward him. “Is that a wind-up watch you’re wearing?”

“Yes,” he replies. “I use it to make crude time measurements in the Mind Dimension. For more accurate measurements, I have this much better time-keeping device that—”

“Dude.” I hold up my hand. “I know we’re stuck in this moment and Mira won’t get killed any faster if you keep talking, but I still think we should get a move on and not get
sidetracked by your science, or anything else for that matter.”

“I’m sorry.” He looks somber. “You’re absolutely right.”

 
“Let’s take the machine to Mira’s room,” I say, feeling a twinge of guilt for chastising him. “You can start assembling it there.”

I walk briskly toward the guesthouse, with Eugene following.

Midway to our destination, I pillage a couple of wind-up watches from the frozen
cops, ignoring Eugene’s confused stare.

As we make our way into the building and nearly break our backs dragging the cart up the stairs, I keep silent (aside from grunts) as I mentally go over my plan.

We’re about to enter Mira’s room, so I tell Eugene, “It’ll be painful for you to see this. Brace yourself.”

I take my advice and brace myself as well.

Once inside, Eugene’s face fills with horror,
which might well match my own expression.

“I’ll give you some time with her.” I can’t help looking at Thomas, who’s looming over Mira. Predictably, my heartbeat speeds up. “I’ll go pull in my grandmother.”

I run all the way to where a horrified Rose is standing. Her frozen gaze is on Paul. Richard is looming over him.

I gently touch her forehead.

“Darren,” the animated version of Rose exclaims.
“Please tell me you have a plan that can save him.”

I nod. “I do have something. Please follow me.”

We make our way back to the guesthouse.

“Eugene, this is my grandmother,” I say when we enter. “The one responsible for the kidnapping.”

Eugene barely looks at her, his gaze glued to his sister. Rose’s eyes follow his stare, and she says softly, “I didn’t want this.”

Her small, wrinkled face
looks so remorseful that I believe her.

“Your words are not going to help my sister.” Eugene turns to her. His normally kind face takes on a cold, almost savage expression.

“Let’s get Caleb.” I put my hand on Eugene’s shoulder to comfort him. “You can give her a piece of your mind later, if she’s alive to hear it.”

With that, I lead the group to the front of the Temple.

“We’ll stand off to
the side,” I say, grabbing a shotgun from a fallen officer and giving it to Eugene before getting myself a handgun. “Needless to say, if he hurts us, this plan is out the window.”

“He’ll do as he’s told,” Rose says. “However, you’re free to aim those guns in our direction if you’re worried.”

“Like we need your permission for that,” Eugene says under his breath.

I take the officers’ watches
from my pocket and hand them to Rose. “Take one for yourself and give one to Caleb. I don’t plan on getting close enough to Caleb to give him this myself.”

She takes the watches and walks over to where Caleb is still stuck in his embrace with Eleanor. She carefully locates a piece of flesh that is definitely Caleb’s and touches it.

A moment later, an animated version of the big guy shows up.
His momentary confusion is quickly replaced by that pouncing readiness only Caleb is capable of.

I take the safety off my gun, and Eugene racks his shotgun.

“You are not to harm these boys,” Rose says to Caleb as a greeting. She then proceeds to explain to him the situation with Paul and what she saw happening to Mira.

“Darren has a plan that could save us all,” she says in conclusion.

“Not
everyone,” I say, thinking of the Super Pusher. “But Paul and Mira for sure, and many of the monks too.”