CHOSEN: A Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Dystopian Novel (14 page)

“Do
you even think these other areas could handle twice as many people? We are
already living on top of each other,” Stella questioned.

“No,
especially since some of those areas are where we grow a lot of our food,”
Stephen said as he panned out on the map.

“What
are we going to do about that? And there are still the holes in the ground?
What about where all that waste is going?” Stella asked looking over Stephen’s
shoulder at information she only partially understood.

“I
don’t have the answers for those questions, Stella. What I found when doing my
models was that people would need to move closer to the center of continents,
away from where existing fault lines are and where volcanoes are. Those are the
highest risk areas. That type of population movement is not easy. It would mean
a lot of work for The Relocation and Population Management Division, the World
Consensus, and Regions to relocate what amounts to billions of people over a
matter of a year or two,” Stephen said as he continued to click on population
files.

“How
do you even build residences that fast for that many people?” Stella asked.

“It
would be very difficult. The cost alone would probably bankrupt the government
and that would be bad for UniCorps and its members. They won’t like that
solution. Anything else and… well,” Stephen looked down at his hands, choosing
not to continue.

“What
happens if the people aren’t relocated Stephen?” asked Stella with hesitation.

“Do
I really need to say it Stella?” Stephen stood up and started pacing.

He
needed to talk to someone who would be able to help him figure this out. He
thought of Marco again. Then he thought of his rude call and realized he needed
to talk to him anyway and maybe even apologize.

“I
think we should talk to Marco from Southern Allegiance. You know the one in my
Science in Life class? If anyone knows how to open some of these restricted
files, he will know how. I’m going to make another copy of the data on this
microdot and put it somewhere safe. Someplace no one else will even think to
look.

“Where’s
that?” asked Stella before realizing she already knew. Stephen looked at her
and knew she knew.

Stella
looked at her watch and realized most of the time their time had already passed.
“We probably need to get back and let someone see our faces. Someone is going to
start looking for us and then start asking questions.”

“Why
don’t you head back and I’ll be there as soon as I’m done. Then you come back
and I’ll sneak out again so we can finish.” Stephen gave Stella her jacket and
opened the door to let her out.

When
Stella slipped back in the side door to the great hall she did it with grace,
sliding along the wall with the hopes that no one had spotted her. She was
allowed to leave and come back if she wanted; after all, she was almost
sixteen. She also knew it was better and easier with no questions.

She
saw her mother talking in one group and her father across the room talking to
another. They seemed to be having fun.

“Good,”
she thought. “The world may be ending, but let’s eat, drink, and be merry. For
tomorrow we just may die.”

Santoria, Southern Allegiance

“
Get back here!
Now! Marco! I said get
back here. It is….Errr!” the woman, Teresa Garcia, paused, waving a helmet.
“You are going to get yourself killed and when you do, don’t blame me!” she
slammed the door in frustration.

Marco
looked back with a grin and zoomed around the side of their unit. He darted
around the corner and then around another before coming on a long stretch of
road. 

Out
here he could breathe. Even with the residential towers lining the street, he
felt free when the wind was in his face and his hair. He could feel the ground
beneath him and knew he was kicking up tiny pebbles and dirt as he rode through
the streets. The helmet was just one more thing to get in the way of him being
a free man.

Almost
a free man, at least. That didn’t matter though. What mattered was that Alexis
had invited him over and he wasn’t missing his one chance to see her before she
went back home and back to school. Alexis had finished school early and gotten
a jump on college. She’d even decided to take a special camp course in science
and technology in Santoria that Spring break. Otherwise, he wouldn’t get to see
her for several more months.

He
would have been at University with her already if he had taken his final year,
last year, seriously. Instead, he still had three classes to finish and only
two had been available that year. He was hoping for a summer school miracle on
the last credits he needed.

As
he was turning into Alexis’s residential building lot, his watch beeped. He
stopped his bike and checked to see who it was, hoping it wasn’t Alexis
canceling, again. It was the goof from Antarctica. He had not forgotten that
Stephen had called him just a couple days ago, waking him out of a dead sleep
to say absolutely nothing.

He
wasn’t letting him ruin his night. Not that night. He let the call go. Once off
his bike he stopped by the front doors of the sky rise building built in a
smooth silvery grey finish to check his reflection in the glass. It was another
repurposed hotel like so many others. He fixed his uniform jacket and hair and
flashed a smile to check his perfect teeth. Satisfied that he looked good, he
pulled the door open.

“Name?”
the security guard asked as soon as Marco walked into the building. “And which
unit are you going to?”

“Marco
Garcia. Alexis Murray-Cruz in unit 14-4. Please.”

“Identification.”
The security guard held out his scanner to read Marco’s fingerprint for
registration. “Have you been cleared already as a secure visitor Mr. Garcia?”

“I’m
guessing I have. I was here a few months ago and even before that. I’m pretty
sure you were the one who checked me in both times,” Marco said trying to mask
the irritation in his voice. He wanted to go up before Alexis had a chance to
start the fun without him.

The
security guard seemed to be taking forever to add info in his tablet before
hitting the button to call Alexis for approval to let Marco come up. Marco
peered over the desk and grinned when his screen flashed from red to green.

“You
can go on up now. Elevators are out of order, but you can take the stairs,” the
guard said sitting back down behind a desk and pointing through the lobby to a
rear door.

Marco
turned and began walking quickly towards the stairs, just past the elevators.
He was pushing the doorway to the stairs when he heard the ding of the elevator
doors opening and saw a woman step off. He looked at the security guard who had
a smile on his face.

The
guard chuckled at Marco. “Sorry. I thought they weren’t working. Didn’t want
you to get stuck.”

Marco
ran back over to the elevators to try and catch the doors before they closed.
He just missed them and shot the guard another look. Waiting would still be
faster than climbing the fourteen flights up. He pushed the up button and stood,
uncomfortably as the security guard kept looking up with an annoying smile on
his face, mocking him.

His
watch started beeping. He looked at it and saw that it was Stephen, again.
Not
tonight.
He wondered what was suddenly so important. 

The
elevator dinged again as it arrived in the lobby. Marco sent the call away and
jumped on the elevator once an older couple exited. He took advantage of the
mirrors that served as the elevator walls. Now he could see himself well enough
to really fix his windblown hair and check between his teeth before stepping
off.

Once
at the fourteenth floor, Marco stood taller and walked down the hall a few
doors to unit four. He placed his index finger on the scanner beside the door
and it turned green and sounded the doorbell.

“Hold
on, I’m coming!” Alexis called out a few seconds later. Inside the unit Alexis
was hurriedly stuffing clothes into the closet and throwing away paper plates
and cups. Several minutes passed before Marco finally heard her click the lock and
pull the door open slowly.

Marco
stepped inside and gave her a huge hug. He’d missed her over the past three months
since their last break. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the
bedroom. He could tell she was excited. Her parents were gone for at least a
few more hours so she had the unit to herself. They could really have fun and
hopefully not get into any trouble.

Marco
took off his button down shirt and threw it on her bed, leaving just his
uniform t-shirt underneath. They both walked over to the desk where they pulled
up two chairs and sat down in front of what Marco considered his dream computer
setup. Alexis had a system that was so fast she could get the advantage over
him every time when they did the code and upload race.

Tonight
they were planning to hack into the science division of the Southern Allegiance
Region’s conservation and preservation unit, where reports from the
seismologists were sent each month. Alexis wanted to go for the World Consensus
science division but Marco didn’t want to get into trouble internationally.
Besides, it was supposed to be just for fun. That was what they kept telling
each other. There was no need in completely risking their freedom for what
boiled down to a game.

As
para-adults they could get into a lot of trouble and get her parents in
trouble. If they were caught it could mean being prosecuted by Southern
Allegiance and sent for behavioral modification. Their parents could be
punished by being fined and imprisoned.

Marco
stretched his back and shoulders and shook his fingers as he readied them for
the race. His attempts to impress Alexis were met by her laughter. She knew him
well enough to know his stretching was only so she’d notice his muscles. Alexis
wasn’t sold on Marco as more than a good friend. He was smart but unfocused and
too arrogant, at least for her taste.

“Are
you ready?” she smiled.

Marco
looked at Alexis and said, “Let’s do this.”

Alexis
began entering code on her computing system and Marco did the same. They would
try to get in two different ways, and hopefully confuse the Southern Allegiance
system. Since the funding from private organizations and the support staff
available through UniCorps, the World Consensus, and the regions had first
class talent in their programming departments.

It
was all part of the challenge and the fun. Alexis mumbled as she worked. She
couldn’t stand losing or giving up. It just wasn’t in her nature. Marco
couldn’t stand the idea of losing to Alexis. That was no way to impress her and
losing wasn’t part of his vocabulary.

“Hey,
I just thought of something. I think I met a girl at camp this week who you
might know. Her name is Stella. She’s got a twin brother. Do you know her?

“I
might. Do you know her brother’s name?” Marco asked not slowing down a bit.

“Soren,
Sle, Stephen. Stephen! They live in Antarctica right now. Who the heck lives in
Antarctica? Ever?”

“Ha!
Yes, I know him. We take an online science class together. He actually called
me today when I was on my way up here. Small world. What’s his sister like?”
Marco asked trying to sound nonchalant.

“She’s
nice. She’s got pretty, big hair. What I’d do for hair like that! Why?” Alexis
looked at him out the side of her eye with a raised eyebrow. Her fingers never
stopped moving.

“No
reason. Just wondering. Normal question.” Marco paused and looked at what
appeared on his screen. “I think I’m getting close. I think we are almost in. We’re
gonna need you to work your magic next. I hope you are ready over there.”

“Don’t
worry, big shot. I’ll be ready,” Alexis teased back.

Marco’s
watch started beeping again. “Why do you have that thing with sound on? So
annoying…and distracting,” Alexis moaned.

“Speaking
of the devil. Well, I guess in Antarctica it’s too cold to be the devil, but it
is Stephen. I’ll call him back when we are done. It’s the third time today. I
wonder what’s going on?”

Marco
had barely glanced at his wrist, not wanting to slow down and miss the pace
Alexis was setting. After the repeated calls he was becoming curious about why
Stephen was trying so hard to reach him.

“Hmmm.
Maybe he forgot what his work was for the break and figures you’ll have it. Don’t
know why anyone would think you’d have it, but …” Alexis let her voice trail off
and let the thought dangle. She never left him alone for slacking off in
school.

“Are
you almost ready? Do you have everything up over there? I’m about to go for the
migration so our systems talk to each other for the breaking of their password
key. Remember, it changes every seventy-five seconds. Get ready with the
passwords and the key. One. Two. Three. Boom!”

Alexis
hit a button and the screens began mirroring each other with code and data
flying between the two as if they were talking. Marco and Alexis were silent,
waiting for the confirmation that they had gotten through the password so that
the system could match the correct key. Then they’d be in. This time, they
would get what they were coming for.

“Come
on. Come on. Hurry up. I thought you said you had one of the fastest systems,
Alexis!” Marco charged irritably.

“I
do. Faster than yours for sure. Their system’s faster and probably five times
as expensive, so don’t get pissy with me.”

“Wait.
Wait. Ha! We’re in baby. We’re in!” Marco exclaimed and turned, giving Alexis a
kiss on the lips. He surprised both of them as they both leaned back and got
back to their own seats.

“Okay…well…
you’ve got nice lips but I’ve got work to do. Let’s get in and get out. Fast. You
sync the files under 10-86 and I’ll do the UP1K file.”

Alexis
and Marco started synchronizing the folders when Marco’s watched beeped again. 
Alexis rolled her eyes at him.

“It’s
him. Again,” Marco said with a shrug before accepting. “Hey, what’s up? What’s
the emergency?”

Stephen
looked blank for minute trying to think of where to begin. “Do you have a
minute Marco? Oh, I’m sorry about the other day. I wanted to talk something
over with you but had to get my thoughts together better first. Is now a good
time?” Stephen felt desperate and he was sure he sounded that way too.

“I’ve
got a couple of minutes but I am in the middle of something. What’s up? Oh,
before you start, you’ll never believe this. My friend Alexis met your sister
Stella at camp this week. Crazy, right?”

“Yes
that is a coincidence. Did you hear that Stella?”

“Wait,”
Alexis chimed in, “Stella’s there? Put her on.”

“Hold
on,” Stephen said, walking away from the view. A moment later he returned. “I’m
back. Stella’s here.”

“Stella!
Hey it’s me. Alexis. Such a small world!” Alexis grabbed Marco’s wrist, pulling
it closer so she could talk.

The
moment Stella heard Alexis say her name, she bumped Stephen out of the way so
she could get in view.

“Oh
my god! Alexis! How are you here? I thought you were going back to Australia,”
asked a confused Stella.

“Long
story. You know my dad and stepmom are here and since I avoided really being
here much all week, I’m here for now. I leave tomorrow morning. They are much
too in love for me.” 

Stella
was about to say something when Stephen nudged her and interrupted. “I know the
two of you want to talk, but we have something more important to talk about. Stella
and I need to talk to Marco, privately.”

“Alexis
can stay on Stephen. She was my roommate this week at camp. I trust her and she
might be able to help us.”

Stella
felt certain that the four of them being there was no accident. “Besides, we
don’t have much time. The party is going to be over soon and you know mom and
dad will be coming by before heading to bed.”

Stephen
nodded accepting Stella’s logic.

“Okay.
You both have to swear yourselves to secrecy. Do you swear that you will not
speak of or share this information with another living soul outside of the four
of us? Sharing it with anyone could result in death,” Stephen threatened.