Intentionality (6 page)

Five,

FIVE,

FIVE!

I realise anything short of the eight achieved by my sister would have been slightly annoying, especially when her language skills do not encompass the ability to form visual movies in her head, using a foreign tongue set to a backdrop of music! She is however able to interpret almost double the amount of languages I can and she doesn't need to hear the words to do that, she can interpret the text. Even so, all things considered… FIVE!

We had another round of brain scans. It was all quite unexpected. Ridiculously, I felt I would do better as my brain wouldn't have time to shut down. I even volunteered to go first. I really did go in with the confidence of a champion. After all, I can now speak to Lily in a foreign language and not just one, almost ten. But as soon as the text and pictures began on the screen and the words were channelled through my earphones, I was taken over by the signs of shut down. My brain began thinking elsewhere as a tried and tested distraction technique.

As a result I am feeling the need to both conceal and redeem myself. This has brought me to the air hole on Deck Zero. I need to find and borrow the lanterns and plan to spend as much time doing this as is possible, without getting caught!

I have always been drawn to this area for its excitement, mystery, anonymity and most of all for the feeling of freedom it radiates.

There is a viewing gallery above, a watchtower in effect. It has one-way glass so that the passage in and out of the hole can be monitored. I am told this is a necessity to keep the Seeders safe. It wouldn't be to stop us escaping because we aren't destined to be here for eternity. I suppose in that respect it may be to monitor the whereabouts of the Monos, who are expecting to live out their life in modern servitude. Seeders are also allowed to use the viewing gallery, however it is seldom used as the view is limited. It is however a lovely cave-like room, ideal to remove yourself from the timetable for a short while.

I like to be down by ‘the water's edge', it is not I am sure as nice as paddling by the seashore, that first experience will be entirely magical. There is something mesmerising about the sound of the icy cold seawater lapping at the steel of the air hole. Occasionally you can taste the spray of an errant wave as it breaks too harshly against the steps. I am not allowed to place my feet over the side. Apparently this activates a warning signal. It must have been deactivated the time my sister went in, or possibly it did sound and the Mono that helped, turned it off when he saw her struggling. That would mean he has some command of security codes, so not just any Mono Prince Charming then!

Some Monos are in responsible jobs. They are trusted and respected to associate with the Acers living in The Nest. I have heard that they are employed as secretaries, managers and commanders. This enables the Acers in those positions living in Intentionality the freedom to stay on the surface without the need to be stationed here on rotation. No Monos are allowed to associate with the Seeders for any other reason than to be courteous.

I now face a problem. I didn't expect the lanterns to be locked in a see through cupboard. I assume they are connected somehow to the power supply. They are standing to attention in a row, with their bulb blinking intermittently. Very organised and rather comical, as the light flashes on and off at a different time to the one next door, it looks like they are deep in conversation. I am both impressed and annoyed. Now I shall need to contact an Acer to ask permission, which means I can't hide here avoiding social interaction any longer. To make it worse, I can feel the drop of temperature, which arrives just before the surface tranquillity of the air hole is broken. Soon there will be splashing and after that questions.

“Hi, don't look up. I'm not supposed to be talking to you,” communicated a voice which was most definitely not my sister,

“I think we have met before, did you recover quickly from your accident here? I wanted to find out but that would have got us both in trouble.”

Now hang on a moment, my ears detected only the sound of water running on to metal, footsteps and breathing. So how is it that my brain has detected a voice inside this deck?

Alternatively I could be persuaded into considering the possibility that I am going completely off the rails. I am, it seems, making up male voices that seem to know my sister! My hearing has been rendered completely inoperable by the beating of my petrified heart. I can hear nothing else and am now incapable of breathing in any sensible manner. To make things even more implausible, I seem to have conjured up a picture of the man in my mind's eye. If I weren't in such a state I may take a minute to admire my handy work!

Should I look around? Should I run? Should I converse with my mind's fabricated man? If I tell the imagined man to leave and never return would he be able to do that or would that need the fabrication to have freedom of thought?

“Hi… It's me again… I can hear you… I am not fabricated or imagined and I certainly do have freedom of thought, two arms, ten toes, that sort of thing,” communicated the man again.

Have I been mumbling out loud? How embarrassing! Now I have lost all of my faculties. I shall just move to the exit without looking and hope that the imagined, argumentative soul stays where he is. That sounds like a plan.

“No wait, I only wanted to say Hi. Guess I have actually done that now, but please stay. I want to know why I couldn't hear you last time. Your mind is so strong that I actually heard you from under the surface. That's why I came up. In around five minutes, there won't be anyone watching from the viewing tower because it's supposed to be me. You could come back and I'll help you get permission for those lanterns that you wanted,” he suggested

“If you can really hear me, say this next sentence out loud,” I challenged. “Say, ‘Can I help you, Ma'am?'”

“Can I help you Ma'am?”

There it was. My sentence, it permeated through the void of the deck, it travelled like golden rays of sunlight through water, twirling and echoing towards my brain, then it bridged the gap from make believe to reality and blew me straight to the floor.

I heard steps now moving towards me as I struggled, unsuccessfully, to get back on my feet.

“I really must limit my anonymous rescues to one a year. They are no good for my ego. So this time you are going to communicate to me what your name is because there is no excuse. There is not another single soul in this Nest that can do what you and I can. Believe me I have tried to find another,” he revealed.

Yep he's doing it. He has just voiced an opinion without opening his lips. He is also very close! I have never held hands with a boy before! I think that he may be pretending to check for injuries but all the same I have never been this close to a male in my entire life. If my heart wasn't already on full speed it would certainly be accelerating. I really don't think I am likely to have injured my hand more than my head in the order of medical priorities.

I may as well travel further willingly into this mess and begin communicating with him. After all he is just wishing to help and he did such a good job keeping my sister alive. I am certainly not going to lie. He thinks that I am Lily and as soon as he discovers otherwise I may get my hand back.

“My name is Mae, and I am not the only person capable of this form of communication. You have previously experienced the pleasure of rescuing my twin Lily. So now you have a full set of rescues to your name!” I communicated.

Keep it light-hearted Mae, don't give too much away. You only wanted a lantern or two. Not to stay down in The Nest as punishment for being contaminated by the thoughts of a Mono so close to Ascension. His hand immediately dropped mine so hard that it hit the cold hard floor making my pretend injury suddenly real.

“OUCH! What was that for?” I complained.

“You are a twin! We have never had twins before. How have they been keeping that a secret?” he questioned in my head.

“Look, I don't think I should be this close to you, even if you are pretending to calm my furrowed brow. I thought you were going to help me attain the permission for the lanterns and then I will be able to leave with no further harm done. Surely Monos are allowed to talk to Seeders about equipment?” I communicated one last time.

This talking in my head to a stranger is rather tiring. I shall make a move to the door and then to the viewing gallery in the hope that he brings my lantern permission form. Just wait until I tell Lily, she can bring them back and say thank you with a double meaning. That will actually help to tie up that lose end before we ascend.

The door slid wide with its usual efficiency, nice to see that some things have stayed the same in my world in the last five minutes. The viewing room is dark and empty, which is a relief. The last thing I need is a nosy Seeder telling tales of a romantic
Romeo and Juliet
scenario.

He has disappeared from the air hole, which means he is either just about to walk back into my life or has gone to alert the Acers of my misdemeanour. I don't know what it was about our meeting that allowed me to think the rules could be broken, possibly just curiosity. How can this Mono talk in his head anyway? That is clearly a higher order skill passed on by my Evo-gene and even more puzzling is the fact that he has never heard my sister and me communicating. Perhaps he is relatively new to The Nest, some Monos are not born in The Nest, and they can request to be here.

“Hi again,” he commented casually.

He strolled through the door like he had always known me, full of confidence, an air of superiority and a hint of mischief. He looked me straight in the eye, passed me a form and two lanterns, then as bold as Summer or Skye asked me when I would be ascending and why I needed the lanterns.

I was now trapped into a conversation with a Mono, in a confined space and without a chaperone. To make it worse his feeble attempt to cloak an intrusive question with a mundane one had made me giggle, so we were both standing grinning like ten-year-olds when my sister began communicating. She didn't at this point know anything about my meeting with Prince Charming because I had been withholding my visual communications.

“Mae, where are you? Summer needs us for one of those graduation meetings.”

Now what shall I do? If I don't answer and then run off he will get the impression that I will be going to tell tales about his indiscretion. If I do answer I may pass on the visual image of my co-conspirator and then Lily will be an accessory to the crime!

“Can I just ask why you have been stood frozen for the last sixty seconds? Were my questions too personal? Sorry it's just that I am so excited about finding another person like me. I am keen to know how long I have to use my skill before you ascend and I am left in the dark once more,” he added.

He didn't hear her! He can't be as strong as us if he didn't hear her. That doesn't really explain why he can hear me now and not before, but it is a relief.

“I am just receiving permission for the lanterns and then I will be straight there. I presume we need to meet in the recreation sector?”

I couldn't help myself I deliberately posed a question so that I can work out if he inadvertently missed Lily or he really is out of the loop.

“Yep Mae, make sure you get two lanterns and you find out how to work them. See you soon, Take care,” sung Lily.

The excitement of the next few days has certainly fired up her sunny personality. She is but a week and a half away from clean fresh air, differing weather conditions and not to be too dramatic but…the rest of her life!

“Are you in shock? Do I need to splash you with sea water or slap you round the face?” he sarcastically quizzed

“No, sorry, just thinking about the lanterns and how to use them. They are an important part of the décor for our Graduation Ball. We ascend in just over a week and I can't afford for anything to go wrong,” I admitted

Now it was his turn to look like he needed a slap. Only I think he really is in shock. I don't think that he has any idea about the date change for The Harvest. He must still be under the impression that it is late October as usual.

“Well that was a bolt out of the blue. Just over a week you say. I just can't work out why it is that I have only just been able to hear you,” he asked.

“I think it may have something to do with my Evo-gene. For obvious reasons it is growing in strength. Thanks for the lanterns, I will ensure that they are carefully handled and shall return them myself on the 7th of October, the day before The Harvest,” I concluded.

With that, I turned, picked up the lanterns and moved towards the door.

“It's Willem by the way. My name, you may need to know to fill out the form.”

“Thank you Willem. Goodbye,” I whispered as I left the room.

September 28th

September 28th