Junkie

CHAPTER ONE

Nova and Aart crouched at the back of the old building. Holes in the walls let in rays of sunlight that lit up the packed dirt floor and the broken crates scattered around them. Sharp splinters stabbed out of the broken wood, ready to pierce unwary skin. The scent of stale alcohol permeated the air, much like the rest of Glod.

They spoke in quiet whispers, their eyes scanning the walls and exits. Tanguin stood at the door, attempting to look casual while keeping a firm hand on her gun.

Aart, would you just listen to me for two seconds? Nova said. This thing is bigger than we ever thought. There's something going on in Quadrant Two. They're eating people!

I already know all that, Nova. It's even more reason for me to stand up and fight.

This is the Confederacy we're talking about. If they found out that you were even thinking of moving against them, they'd kill you and everyone you care about.

It's worth fighting for.

Nova rolled her eyes. This is ridiculous.

This is our only chance, said Aart. There are people who want change, lots of people. We wouldn't be standing alone. Please don't make me do this without you. With everything we've learned, we have to tell people; we can't just let it keep happening.

Nova stared into Aart's eyes. She frowned and a strong pressure pushed down on her skull. Why did Aart suddenly want to lead a revolution? Her stomach twisted. She couldn't let him do it alone, not after what she'd heard about Quadrant Two; the segment of the Confederacy that oversaw the Resources District and some other minor systems.

I'll stand with you, she whispered.

You will? Aart's smile widened.

Yes, I will. But we do it my way. There is absolutely no chance of us taking them in open warfare. We have to be smart, take them by surprise and eliminate the top command. If more people knew what was really going on, there'd be a revolution. The other Confederacy quadrants would have no choice but to shut Quadrant Two down.

Okay, Aart said, nodding.

Good. Now look, after today we can't be seen talking to each other like this. The Confederacy has eyes everywhere, even in The Jagged Maw. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

What's this? Aart said, unfurling the tattered scrap.

Use this code when you call me, Nova said, tapping the paper once.

Aart nodded.

Alright, Nova said, getting to her feet. Aart followed suit so they stood facing one another. They grasped hands and shook with stern faces.

Nova turned and stalked out of the dilapidated building, Tanguin fell into step beside her. Aart would wait half an hour before leaving from the other side.

How'd it go? Tanguin asked.

It looks like I'm going up against the big dog, Nova whispered.

Well, I'll be damned, said Tanguin. Never picked you as the activist type.

I'm not. But I'm not going to let Aart go and get himself killed. He needs someone to watch his back.

It looks like I'll be changing the world too then.

What? Nova said. She stopped and stared at Tanguin.

I'm not going to let the two of you go alone. Plus, I can do a fair bit without being a crack shot.

Tanguin, I don't think— Nova's brows drew together and the corners of her mouth turned down.

Oh please, said Tanguin. We both know I'll be in far less danger than you. And besides, after what you've told me about Quadrant Two, I can't just stand back and do nothing.

I don't know…

"Oh c'mon, if I can survive the great Un-Connecting, then I think I can handle Aart's little rebellion.

The corners of Nova's mouth twitched. Okay, she said, still not entirely convinced. We'll start spreading messages tomorrow, the more people we can tell, the sooner the Confederacy will have to act. For tonight, I need a stiff drink.

I'll drink to that, said Tanguin with a chuckle.

***

Minister Lenovo frowned at the footage, a blood vessel pulsing at the base of his neck. He kept his arms folded in his lap but his fingernails dug into his palms as he watched the rebels. The only light in the small room flooded from the video screen along with the voices of treason.

I want them gone, he said, his voice stiff.

A thin man in a blue suit stepped forward. Of course, Minister.

You said this was taken on Glod?

Yes. We've been tracking the male for some time.

Are we still running experiments there?

Yes. Although the results aren't what we were aiming for.

I know that! I've read the reports.

Of course, Minister.

See that they become our new test subjects.

Right away, sir.

The thin man hurried away, his footsteps clicking on the metal floor of Quadrant Two headquarters.

CHAPTER TWO

Nova stumbled on a rough cobblestone and fell forward. Her hands and knees slammed into the rocky road and her hand stung as the pebbles bit into her palms.

She stayed on her hands and knees, staring at the road. Massive cobblestones, unevenly put together like a puzzle, spread around her. The road appeared wet, but she couldn't be sure. Clouds billowed at the edge of her vision as if a wall of mist was closing in on her.

Her head spun. She pressed her hands against her temples, trying to keep her brain inside her skull. The whole world tilted to one side but no matter how far Nova leaned in the other direction, the world just wouldn't go straight.

A rasping noise sent a jolt through her spine until she realised that it was her own breath. Why were there butterflies in her stomach?

She shot to her feet and sprinted down the road. A burst of energy overcame her and she was sure that if she slowed down she would explode with the force of it. She ran in circles in the middle of the street with her arms above her head, waving. She yelled nonsense into the night air; to her ears it created a beautiful song.

She burst into a fit of laughter and had to stop running. The great chuckles shook her stomach and the hysteria pierced the night air.

Someone spoke into her ears. The voice sounded familiar, robotic, but there were so many noises crowding in on her that she couldn't make out the words, or picture who the voice belonged to.

Her spine prickled. There were people behind, but why should she care? More people to sing and dance with!

She looked up at the dark sky. Rain streaked down, but she couldn't feel the drops on her face. She smiled and laughed up at the darkness.

The shadows around her closed in.

Large hands fell onto Nova's shoulders. Their weight made her knees wobble and ripped her attention from the starry sky.

She shook her shoulder in an effort to be rid of the annoying hands but they remained firmly in place.

She felt as if she was still running. There was the sensation of wind rushing through her hair and the muscles in her legs tensed and relaxed in time with her footsteps. Surely, if she kept running, the hands would fall away.

She ran, taking giant steps across the road and leaving the big, heavy hands far behind.

In reality, she knelt on the ground; scraping her knees across the rough cobblestone road.

The hands clamped around Nova's shirt and dragged her across the road towards an unmarked van.

She tried to object, but her slack mouth let out nothing more than a slur.

She felt herself being dragged backwards, even though she was sure her legs were taking her forwards. At the edge of her clouded vision she saw the van. Through her jumbled thoughts she knew one thing: she did not want to go into that van.

Nova strained to get free, but her arms and legs refused to obey her thoughts. The man heaved her halfway through the sliding side door so that her torso rested on a musty carpet that tickled her nostrils. The fabric scratched her face and skin as she twisted to get away from it.

Her bottom half remained dangling out onto the road when gunfire filled the night.

The hands fell away from Nova and she slid out of the van onto the hard road. Her legs scraped across the cobblestones, sending stinging pain like electric shots over her skin. Bright flashes of light flitted across Nova's vision. The sharp glare stung her eyes and they watered. The world was sideways again.

The cobblestone street filled her gaze. In the very corner of her sight she could make out a figure but it was quickly swallowed by flashing lights and loud bangs.

She struggled to sit upright, but her mind was so disorientated that all she did was push herself down onto the road.

She cursed and looked back at the figure. The gunfire had stopped now and the familiar shape approached. A single name floated through Nova's clouded memory; it was the same figure that had been trying to speak to her earlier. She laughed and the hysterical cackling lit up the night just as the gunfire had moments earlier.

Cal.

***

Nova rolled around on the cobblestone road giggling.

Nova! What happened? Cal's voice rang through the night but she didn't respond.

Cal's circuits scanned for any other life-forms lurking in the dark allies. For now they were alone; the thugs lay dead in their van.

Cal lowered his round orb-like shape to Nova's level so that he was only inches from the ground. His metal casing shone in the starlight and droplets of rain slid down his sides. His panel lifted and a tiny metal arm extended out from the casing.

The robotic arm clasped hold of Nova's shoulder and Cal's motor whirred as he strained to lift her onto her feet.

His arm was much stronger than it looked and he managed to lift her into a sitting position. Internal alerts zipped through his circuits as he analysed his friend. Her clothes hung in tattered shreds, covered in the dirt and filth of the road she'd been rolling in. Her wet hair hung in grimy tangles that matted about her face. Worst of all, she was still laughing.

Okay, up you get, Cal said, trying to keep calm.

Up you get, Nova mimicked, which set her off into another bout of giggling.

Cal took a firmer hold of her jacket and lifted himself higher into the air. At first she resisted, sitting in the middle of the road with her hands folded across her chest. She looked up at Cal and poked her tongue out at him.

Cal refused to respond except by lifting with even more force. Nova had no choice but to get to her feet.

Let's go, Cal said, floating towards Crusader.

Their spaceship was parked close by, which ended up being a good thing because Nova tried to run away three times. It was only Cal's firm hold on her jacket that pulled her back into line each time.

It took a lot of poking, pulling, and prodding before the two of them reached Crusader's door and by then Cal was more than worried. If he'd had a stomach it would have been clenched into knots. As it was, he settled for silencing the wailing alarms that threatened to burst from his speakers.

In we go, he said, pushing Nova towards the opening.

No, she replied, stopping and folding her arms across her chest.

Nova, please. If you go in you can have chocolate.

Nova's eyes widened and she jumped into Crusader's landing bay.

Humans, Cal muttered, flying in behind her.

CHAPTER THREE

Nova fell to the floor of Crusader's storage bay in a fit of giggles. She pointed at Cal and let out another burst of laughter. She stared up at the ceiling before moving her arms and legs in wide arcs as if she was making a snow angel.

What's happened? Crusader said. Nova, respond.

I can't get any sense out of her, Cal said.

What could have happened? Crusader's voice was panicked.

I don't know. She was supposed to be meeting Tanguin. I only went to look for her because her medical monitor was going crazy.

Emergency alerts zapped through Crusader's processors. What can we do?

She's been gone hours. Anything could have happened. There were people all around when I found her; they were trying to load her into a van!

Running a full medical diagnosis.

Cal hovered just above Nova's head. Nova, I need you to respond, what happened? Where have you been?

Nova giggled. Cal, Cal, Cal. Pal! Ral, mal, tal.

She's lost it, Cal said.

Nova spoke in gibberish between her chuckles.

Nova, I need you to tell me where you've been. Where's Tanguin?

Tanguin! she echoed but that was all the sense she would give.

The images I'm getting from her chip are all wrong. She can see me but there are other things too. It's like she's watching the world through a kaleidoscope lens, and there are people everywhere, Cal said.

Could it be the time vortex? said Crusader.

Cal hovered to Nova's other side. Probability is low. The images are different to the shadows she sometimes perceives. Although if she drops through time we'll have no hope of finding her.

Medical scan reveals high levels of quasaphentamine. Her blood pressure and heart rate are excessive and her brain activity is also spiking. Her body should have given in already, said Crusader.

Something like that could only be—

Drugs, definitely. Although no recognised agent is showing in her blood, said Crusader.

Tanguin could be in danger, Cal said.

I will alert the authorities.

You can try. In a place like this I doubt you'll get a response. We have to find out where she was. Nova? Nova! I want you to think back for me. What were you doing before I found you? Do you remember seeing Tanguin?

Backwards thinking! Nova yelled. No, no, that's like remembering forwards!

More laughter followed.

See if you can access any peripheral images from her chip, Cal said.

Crusader went to work analysing the chip inside Nova's head. It detected images through a connection with her optic nerve but accessing it remotely without her permission could be dangerous.

Nova, tell me about Tanguin. What did you two have to drink? Cal tried a less direct approach. If he could get Nova to think about her night it would make it easier for Crusader to reach the memories.

I'm getting something.

CHAPTER FOUR

Nova's memories lay fragmented and shattered as if someone had come along and shuffled them, breaking some apart and hiding others.

She strode into a smoky, dimly lit room. A flickering neon sign above the entrance read 'bar'. A cacophony of noise surrounded her, like the hum of a bee-hive, as she pushed through the press of bodies.