The Geneva Project - Truth (22 page)

You know how people say that time seems to stand still during a crisis, or you see your life pass before your eyes before you die?  Well, I believe it now.  I think they both happened at once for me.  I was in a panic and my mind was racing as I watched the events before me unfold in slow motion, helpless to stop them. 

Once I saw Greeley approaching with Khan and Ria, I got a lump in my throat, and I knew this was a bad idea and wanted to abort our plan immediately.  I turned to where Nova was hiding behind a nearby tree to tell him the deal was off, but he was gone.  I looked around frantically and spotted him a few yards away, walking straight towards Greeley.  The next thing I knew, my legs were carrying me forward rapidly.  I was down the rock pile and sprinting after Nova, waving my arms wildly trying to call him off.  I always thought of him as old for his age, tall and masculine, but as he neared Greeley and the tarcats, he’d never looked smaller to me.  I know I was screaming, at least that was what my mind was doing as I closed the little ground between us.  I know I was closing the gap, but it still felt like I was moving in slow motion.  I remember seeing the long white linen of Greeley’s dress fluttering towards me with each step she took and I remember being drawn to it.  It was such a bright white I felt like it was glowing, almost blinding me with the billowing fabric flashing before me, displaying bits of my tragic existence upon it like white drapes blowing open a small bit at a time to reveal the scene behind it.

I was so close to Nova I could almost reach him, only a few more steps and… 
Thunk,
I hit the ground hard.  The last thing I remember was feeling my feet go out from under me.  Now I could do nothing but watch from my horizontal vantage point as Nova carried out his plan.  I heard Greeley shriek but couldn’t look up high enough to see what was happening.  It felt like there was something heavy on my back holding me down and in my mind I kept hearing
“Stay down, stay down!”
  But I was so confounded that I didn’t know who I was hearing or what was going on above me. 

I looked on as feet and paws shuffled frantically in the short distance from my head.  There was more yelling from Greeley and angry snarls and hissing from the tarcats.  I heard Greeley call for the Grifts and then there was an eerie moment of calm and silence that gave me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.  A moment later that feeling was validated when Nova’s head hit the same packed soil as mine had moments earlier.  His eyes were closed and there were three large gashes bleeding before me on his beautiful face.  The horrible site was too much to take, so I squeeze my eyes shut and then my mind must have shut down because that’s the last image I was left with before opening my eyes again. 

The next time I opened my eyes I felt so unsure they were open at all that I had to feel for myself that my long lashes were indeed brushing past my fingers as I held my hands against my face.  Was I dreaming?  Was I dead?  Nova!  Where was he?  Was he here with me?  Or worse, was he…?  I couldn’t even bring myself to think it.  I wanted to whisper his name but I feared what was out there, lurking in the darkness.  I was somewhere cool and damp and it was pitch black.  It wasn’t the kind of darkness that your eyes could adjust to in a few minutes.  It was an all consuming blackness that could swallow you up whole, fears and all.  I felt my instinctual panic starting to kick in, but all of my training in the forest paid off because I caught myself and was able to slow my breathing and racing heart enough to think clearly.  I remembered that I had everything I needed at my disposal.  I focused my mind on pulling forward Journey’s hunting skills.  I was able to call on my night vision and my surroundings came into focus.  I was sitting on the packed earthen floor in the center of a large room. In front of me, it seemed to expand even further than I could see, but to my left I could see a stone wall glowing before me. I had no doubt about it, I was in the locker.  I concentrated still harder and could hear the faint drumming of a familiar heartbeat in the distance!  Nova! 

I was on my feet in an instant, moving towards the rhythmic pulse when something stopped me in my tracks.  It was a second heartbeat, this one was weaker, and irregular.  Who else or what else was down here?  I listened closer to try to get a bearing on where the beating was coming from.  One was to my right and the other was straight ahead.  I focused all my energy on listening to each heartbeat trying to identify who or what they belonged to.  The steady familiar beat was louder, stronger, closer.  All at once it hit me and relief washed over me, it was Remi, I was sure of it.    It was the same humdrum beating that gave him away in the forest.  He must have kept with the plan after all and followed us down here.  I wanted to run to him, to tell him we were going to be okay, to tell him so many things, but my feet were cemented, resisting my urge to run to Remi, telling me to keep moving towards the other heartbeat.  The one that was harder for me to place.  I was hesitant as I took a few steps closer so I could hear it better.  It was racing and in distress.  I felt lured towards it, with a longing to help quiet its fear.  It was the same way my heart often sounded when I reacted with panic in our training sessions in the forest. I made my decision to move towards it.  Remi’s heart sounded strong and steady, he didn’t need me right now, but this other heart was aching and pulling me towards it.  I half-heartedly hoped it was Nova I was moving towards, but I shuddered at my last memory of his beautiful face, marred by one of Greeley’s tarcats.  The frantic heartbeat ahead of me was so distressed that I almost didn’t want it to be him, I didn’t want to see him hurt or frightened.  I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed forward. 

Nova was the one we looked to.  I didn’t like thinking of him as helpless or frightened.  That was a role I was used to serving myself.  If Nova was really attached to the feeble heartbeat I was following, I knew I would find myself with a heavy weight upon my shoulders.  After a few more cautious steps I stopped abruptly, covering my mouth with both hands to stifle a gasp that caught me off guard.  Before me lay a heap of dirty, shivering fabric.  I held my breath as I took another anxious step closer. I could see that the quivering mass was actually a human, and it was more than dirty, it was laying in a pool of dark, tacky fluid, that smelled of putrid rust so strongly that my eyes began to water.  I followed the puddle back to its source and didn’t like what I saw at all.  I hadn’t realized I was still holding my breath until I released it in a gush of horror as I saw the unmistakable shock of blonde hair that parted to give way to fresh supply of blood that was pooling below it. 

“
Nova!” I whispered, more to myself than to him. 

I rushed to him, skidding to a stop on my knees.  I knelt, hands trembling near him, not knowing what to do first.  He looked so damaged I was afraid to touch him.  I carelessly lobbed an orb above us so that I could better assess the seriousness of his wounds.  I struggled for breath when I saw the slashes across his blood-stained face.   Still worse was the gaping flesh on his chest that flapped vulnerably with each rattling breath he took.  It took everything in me not to vomit as my stomach flip-flopped at the site of his ghastly injuries.  I buried my face into the crook of my arm and looked away until I could regain my composure.  I took a few quick deep breaths and wiped away the tears that were streaming down my face.  It was up to me now.  I needed to pull it together to help Nova.  I could heal him, Sparrow taught me how.  I just needed to focus, Nova needed me and nothing else mattered at the moment.  I leaned close to his ear as whispered to him.

“
Nova, it’s me, Tippy.  You’re going to be okay.”

I didn’t expected it when his eyes fluttered open, but the usual sparkle that greeted me was missing.  They were dull and listless, but he did show signs of recognition as I spoke to him.  

“
It’s me, Tippy.  You’re in the locker and you’re hurt but don’t worry, I’m going to help you.  Just be still,” I murmured as I stroked a safe looking spot on his forehead.

“
Ti..pp…”

“
Shhh, no don’t try to speak, okay?  I can do this.  You trust me and believe in me.  I can do this.” 

I think I was saying this to comfort myself more than Nova, but it seemed to work.  I rubbed my hands together over him and closed my eyes as I lowered them towards his chest.

“
Please let me do this,” I whispered to myself right before I felt his bare flesh on my palms. 

There was a sudden buzzing of energy vibrating through me.  The room grew brighter as my orb glowed boldly above us as if cheering me on. I drew every bit of power and energy I had through my soul and channeled it to Nova through my hands.  I opened my eyes, slowly, one at a time, almost scared to take a peak to see if I was doing anything to better his injuries.  I watched in horror as nothing was happening.  The bleeding had stopped and the slashes on his face seemed fainter, but the gaping hole in his heaving chest still looked threatening.  I could feel my powers dim as I fought off flashbacks of Niv’s mother dying in my arms.  I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t breathe as the strangling thoughts of losing Nova took hold of me.  But then I felt something squeeze my hand and I looked down to see Nova staring back at me, with a look that could inspire anyone to move mountains.  In the slight twinkle that had returned to his eyes I could see his confidence in me.  His hope and faith in me stirred me deeper than I knew possible.  He gave me a slight nod and I refocused all my energy on healing him and this time I pulled forth a new emotion, so powerful it scared me.  It seemed to take over and squash all my fears.  I felt a love for Nova pulsing through every vein in my body, breathing new life into him, healing his flesh, quieting his pain, making him whole again.  This new energy was contagious, as it swelled inside me. 

Nova’s voice finally broke my concentration, and I slumped back onto my heels in relief when I saw him smiling back at me.  He was breathtaking.  Even in the dimness of the locker, he seemed to have a slight glow to him.  I couldn’t help myself, I leaped forward and hugged him, finally breaking down and sobbing into his perfectly formed chest. 

“
I… I thought… Nova… I was so scared!”

“
Shhh…I know, I’m so sorry,” he said while squeezing me tight. 

Then he pulled away a bit and I tilted my head back, hypnotized by his eyes.  He smoothed my hair back from my face and whispered to me;

“
Tippy… Thank you.”

And then he kissed me. 

I felt like I was floating, like I had momentarily left the planet.  I never experienced a proper kiss before.  And as kisses go, I really didn’t think there could be one better than this.   But my bliss was short lived.  Nova dragged me back to reality as he pulled me to my feet. 

“
There’s someone coming.  Listen.”

“
Oh, it’s Remi.  I heard him earlier before I found you.”

“
Are you sure?”

“
Positive, here I’ll light the way,” I said producing more orbs.

“
Remi, we’re over here!  Are you okay?”

“
65?  Nova?” came Remi’s shaky voice from the darkness before us.

“
Right here,” I called to him.

Remi emerged from the darkness looking paler than ever.  Once he saw us, he ran towards us and gave me a powerful hug.  Then he seemed to become self-conscious and released me, stepping back a few paces to take in Nova’s appearance. 

“
You’re okay?” he said referring to Nova skeptically.  “You were a mess, I was worried you weren’t going to make it.”

“
I probably wouldn’t have if Tippy didn’t save me.”

“
What do you mean?” Remi asked.

“
She healed me,” Nova boasted, beaming like a fool. 

It made me blush but I confirmed Remi’s questioning glare with a nod.  Remi stepped closer to Nova, circling him cautiously. 

“
That’s incredible.  You look impeccable,” Remi mused.

Nova bristled up proudly as Remi inspected him, looking as though he was starring at a ghost.

“
Remi, did you see what happened?  I mean it’s kind of foggy.  I remember running towards Nova to stop him, and then I fell or tripped and…” I trailed off, shaking, as the last clear memory of Nova’s attack flashed before me.

“
Yeah, that wasn’t part of the plan.  You weren’t supposed to chase me,” Nova scolded.

“
Well, I told you it was a stupid plan and you should have known better and called it off yourself when you saw she had Khan and Ria with her!” I shouted.  “What were you thinking?”
“It could have been our only chance to get the information we need, I had to do it.”

“
What were both of you thinking?” cut in Remi.

Startled we both stopped our bickering and looked at him.

“
You didn’t trip, I tackled you,” he hurled his voice at me, “I had to stop you from ending up like Nova.  You’re too valuable to be doing stupid things like that.”

“
He’s right,” added Nova gently.

“
And I did see what happened to you, to both of you,” Remi continued angrily, turning on Nova.  “You barely reached Greeley before Khan took you out.  Lucky for you Greeley was screaming and shouting so many orders that in the confusion I don’t think she saw how badly you had been injured.  She called off the tarcats and had the Grifts escort her to Lux, but not before she ordered you both be sent to the locker.”

“
Both of us?” I asked.

“
Yes,
both
of you.  She thought you were the main culprit, and I’m sure that’s how it looked to everyone.  You were chasing Nova, raving like a lunatic.  It looked like he was trying to get away from you.  I was invisible during the whole incident so no one saw me trip you or follow you both to the locker, so I can go when I want, but you two are stuck down here.” 

I swallowed hard at the news that I had also been sentenced to the locker.  As mad as I was when I first heard that Remi was the one who tripped me and held me down, I knew he was right to do it.  If he hadn’t I may have ended up as injured as Nova, or worse.  Remi was so brave and smart, thinking fast in all that chaos. 

“
Well, at least Greeley doesn’t know how badly you were injured,” I said trying to find the silver lining. 

“
No, but Jest does, and so does half of our year.  Everyone in the fields saw the tarcats nearly tear you to pieces and then Jest took you both to the locker and left you down here to die.  He had to have known you wouldn’t survive with those injuries,” Remi said wide-eyed.

I shivered at the thought of it.  But Remi was right, and I began to fear we would have a whole new set of problems once we got out of the locker.  Tapping into my thoughts, Nova chimed in.

“
He’s right, Tippy.  He’ll probably think I’m dead.  There’s no way we can explain how I miraculously healed.  Maybe we can use this to our advantage.  But let’s not worry about that right now.  We have to get to work.  We came down here for a reason and I’m going to make sure we get what we came for after all that we’ve been through.”

“
Okay,” I sighed.  “Where do we start?”

“
Follow me.”

Nova snapped and his flame jumped to life in the palm of his hand lighting our way.  Remi and I followed closely behind him to the far wall. 

“
Here’s where it starts,” he said gesturing to the stone wall in front of us. 

“
It’s just a wall,” Remi said sounding confused. 

“
Look closer,” he said.

“
I see it,” I whispered.

My face was inches from the wall but I could see the distinct pattern of dark letters etched into the stone.  I produced an orb of light to get a better look and leaned forward to rest my hand against to cool surface of the wall trying to make out the words before me.  Suddenly the wall lit up!  Glowing the same soft blue color of my light orb.  The light traced the letters, racing around the locker, lighting it up all around us.  The three of us instinctively backed closely together.

“
Well, that’s new,” Nova said.

“
Doesn’t that always happen when you’re down here?” I asked hoping his answer would be yes.

He shook his head and smiled at me. “Nope, but I’m not surprised by you anymore.”

“
I did that?” I asked.

Nova shrugged, “It makes reading a heck of a lot easier,” he said as he moved closer to the wall again.  “Some of this I haven’t even seen before.  Let’s move down this way more,” he said taking swift strides.

“
But what about this part?” called Remi, still standing at the beginning of the glowing writing.

“
It’s mostly just the Legend of Lux, the stuff we already know, but if you want to read it knock yourself out.”

I looked after Nova, who was striding away from me, and then back at Remi. 

“
Why don’t you start at the beginning in case we missed something, I’m going to catch up to Nova and see what he finds.”

The tortured look on Remi’s face made it hard for me to leave him, so I made another orb and bounced it in his direction.

“
Here, to light your way,” I said as I turned, jogging off to catch up with Nova.