Saven Deception (12 page)

Maybe if I’d confided in Neve at the
outset, I could’ve saved myself all this grief. However, I’m no longer
lovesick. Furious anger has replaced any sadness or longing I felt, and for
that, I’m at least grateful.

It’s close to midnight when we call it a
night. The corridor is empty, and the only sound is the strange gurgling in the
pipes. Neve heads straight to her dorm, but I’m thirsty so I stop in the
kitchen to get a glass of water.

Two heads swivel in my direction as I walk
into the room. The temperature drops to massively awkward and heart-chillingly
terrifying. Dante whispers something indecipherable to his companion.
Unfamiliar inquisitive eyes meet mine. The distinguished-looking man sitting
alongside him has dark hair threaded with gray that curls neatly around his
ears.

No introductions are sought or made.

Snapping out of it, I walk to the sink and
fill a glass with water. I stride quickly out of the room, refusing to look at
the two of them despite the sense their attention is firmly fixed on me.

That must be Vin’s superior, I guess, and
I’m assuming Dante knows I’ve made a complaint about him.
Of course, he does
.
I recall his earlier eavesdropping. Damn. I didn’t want to draw attention to
myself, but I can’t reverse that now. At least if Dante tries anything, I can
report him to Vin. That’s of some comfort, even if it’s minor relief.

I’m forced to endure Dante’s presence at
breakfast the next morning, and my appetite vanishes into thin air. Having
promised Jenna that I wouldn’t leave her side, I have no choice but to sit
there and bear witness to her disgraceful lack of self-control. Despite my
insistent whispering in her ear, she allows him to maul her the entire time. My
heady dislike of him intensifies with each passing second and every disgusting
comment. Practically every word out of his mouth is something lewd or
suggestive, and that’s when he isn’t being downright controlling. Concern for
Jenna converts into disbelief and then anger as she allows him to praise and
insult her in equal measure.

I’m wondering if her joke about being
under his spell isn’t such a joke after all.

Neve approaches as I stand awkwardly in
the corridor, trying not to spew at the gruesome sight of Dante and Jenna.
Seriously, how anyone could call that enjoyable is beyond me. He’s devouring
her mouth as his hands sneak under the hem of her shirt. I shake my head.

Neve gags. “Come on.” She tugs my sleeve.
“I don’t want to witness this.”

“Wait.” I dig in my heels. “I’m not
leaving her alone. I promised I’d watch out for her.”

Neve stops trying to propel me along the
corridor. “I don’t think there’s much you can do to stop this.”

“I know,” I admit with resignation, as I
watch Jenna cling to him as if she can’t tolerate separation. He must be an
amazing kisser because there’s nothing else I’ve seen that in anyway explains
the attraction.

Jenna only snaps out of it when Dante
leaves her to go to the gym. Rooted in place, she trails a finger over her
trembling lip.

I’m by her side in a split second. “I
tried to stop you.”

“I know. I didn’t want to stop,” she
admits all too readily.

Neve quirks a brow at me and I shrug,
totally at a loss to understand what’s going on.

***

Later, I’m in the training room when a shadow darkens my
desk. I remove my earphones as Vin materializes with a strange guy. “Sadie, I
want to introduce you to Jarod. He’s a last-minute arrival, and I was hoping
you’d agree to look after him. Help him catch up before we leave.”

We’re traveling tomorrow to Thalassic City,
and I’m itching to leave this cooker-pot environment behind.

Jarod extends his hand as I twist fully in
my seat. He hesitates, and a startled look fleetingly skitters across his face.
Quickly composing himself, he shakes my hand and graces me with a wide grin.
“It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” I tuck my hair self-consciously
behind my ears. “Have a seat.” I motion with my hands.

Jarod pulls up a chair as Vin wanders off.
I smile reassuringly.

“So, what’s it been like here?” He rests
his elbows on the desk.

“You genuinely only got here?” I fold my
hands in my lap.

“Yeah. What’d I miss?”

“Not much to be honest. It’s been kinda
boring.” That’s only partially true, but I’m not dissecting the personal
reasons why some of this experience has been enthralling, especially
considering those memories are tainted now.

“I heard someone died,” he says quietly. I
swallow my anxiety. “That’s the reason I’m here. They needed a replacement.”

“Oh, that’s—”

“Awful. I know,” he interrupts me. “It
certainly wasn’t the way I hoped to earn my place. Did you know the guy?” His
dark navy blue eyes are sympathetic as they probe my face.

“Yeah. He was sort of dating one of my
friends, though I didn’t know him all that well.” I pull at my earlobe. “I
discovered him,” I admit a minute later.

“Hell.” He rakes his fingers through his
short bleached blond hair. “That must’ve been rough.”

“It was.” I shift uneasily in my chair. “I
can still picture his face.” I close my eyes as a powerful shudder rocks my
body.

My eyes dart open as a warm hand covers
mine. “Maybe you should talk to someone about that when we get to Thalassic
City.” He looks concerned and I’m touched.

“Maybe.” I switch my focus back to my
screen as the virtual tour resumes its route through the underwater city. I’ve
practically memorized it at this stage, and I’m salivating at the prospect of
seeing the real deal soon. “Will you be traveling with us tomorrow, or do you
have to stay here to acclimatize?”

“I’m heading with you guys. I had to sign
a waiver, you know, in case I implode or turn blue or some such nonsense.” He
flicks his hand through the air.

I grin despite myself. “It actually hasn’t
been that bad, to be honest. I’ve had a few headaches, and I’ve definitely felt
more tired than normal, but apart from that, I haven’t experienced any other
side effects. And I’ll bet it’s easier in Thalassic City with more open space.
It feels claustrophobic here because it’s such an enclosed facility. I for one
will be happy to leave.”

I’ve an abundance of reasons to think
that.

“I empathize. I don’t do well in confined
spaces either.” A wrinkled groove furrows his brow. “I’m glad I got the fast track.”

“Provided you don’t turn into a Smurf in a
few days,” I joke.

“Yeah. There’s that.” He laughs and I
catch a glimpse of slightly discolored teeth.

Something pricks at my memory, but I can’t
pinpoint it. Shaking it off, I set about showing Jarod how to access the
separate jobs and education portals, explaining how he needs to go about
choosing his options.

A few hours later, Jarod lets out a low
whistle and leans back in his chair.

“What?” I inquire.

“I’ve been reading about the construction
of Thalassic City. It’s pretty damn impressive. I didn’t know our government
had the resources and the knowledge to build something like this.”

“I know. That was my first thought too,
but clearly they are investing heavily in technological and scientific research.”
I spin around in my seat so I’m facing him head on. “From what I’ve read, the
dome that encloses the city will be invisible to the naked eye, and an
artificial sky will be projected in rotations of day to night to give the
illusion of a normal skyline and a normal twenty-four hour pattern. I can’t
fathom it. It’s definitely something that has to be seen to be believed.”

“I’m with you. If they’ve managed to pull
it off, it seems like it’ll be easy to forget we’re actually in a manufactured
city at the bottom of the sea.”

“Do you think it’s really safe? The dome,
I mean.” I flip a leg across my knee.

He shrugs and it’s far from comforting.

“That’s the part of the construction I’m
struggling with the most.” I drop my leg to the floor and lean in toward him.
“Apparently it was built with layers upon layers of corrugated steel sheets and
coated internally and externally with an invisible impermeable casing of smooth
shimmer-steel, which is something I’ve never heard of before. Where do you
think they got something like that?”

“That’s something I’d love to find out
myself.” The pulse in his neck throbs, and there’s an obvious undercurrent to
his tone. “Better get back to it.” He gestures toward his screen. “I’ve still
got some decisions to make.”

***

The next twenty-four hours crawl by in mind-shattering
frustration. At least I’m not the only one who’s antsy. Neve is as hyper as I
am, and we bounce off each other like two live wires. We’ve welcomed Jarod into
our lair, and the three of us are sharing the window seat in the library as we
discuss our impending trip underwater.

“What are your plans once you reach
Thalassic City, Neve?” Jarod asks.

“I’ve applied for a job in the research
lab.”

She’s already shared her plans with me, so
this isn’t news to my ears.

“Doing what?” Jarod tilts his head to the
side.

“Cataloguing marine life. I’m a student at
the University of New England in Maine, majoring in marine biology. This is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study the underwater habitat up close and personal.” 

She says all this in a deadpan voice, and
I’m waiting for some measure of enthusiasm. Each time she talks about her
future career plans, I sense the same apathy, and I don’t understand it. If I
was a bullion, and I could choose to do whatever I wanted with my life, I
wouldn’t waste it on something I’m clearly not that interested in.

Briefly, I wonder if this is something
else that’s being forced on her, and why. I’d pose the question if we were
alone, but I don’t want to ask something so personal with Jarod in the
vicinity. Neither of us knows him well enough yet.

“What do you think you’ll do?” I ask
Jarod, deflecting the attention from Neve.

“I’ve applied for a few technology jobs.
Hopefully, I’ll secure one of those.”

There’s a defined glint in his eye. That’s
what I’m talking about!  A genuine spark. A passionate yearning. I’ve never
seen anything remotely resembling it in Neve.

My eyes naturally flit to his wrist. A
star tattoo stares back at me and I’m confused. How would he have the requisite
technical skillset to land a job in technology?

Jarod expertly reads my expression. “I’ve
taught myself over the years. While there wasn’t any prospect of an IT career,
I couldn’t dampen my natural inclination. My dad procured some equipment and
books, and I’ve learned it all myself. Actually,” he says, quickly scanning the
room, “that’s something I’d prefer to keep between us.”

“Ooh,” Neve rasps. “I love a man with
secrets.”

Jarod’s face pales and she falters, the
smile slowly wiping off her face. “Did I say something wrong?” She looks
quizzically from him to me.

“No. It’s just …” His Adam’s apple jumps
in his throat. “I don’t want to get my dad into trouble. Technically what he
did was against the law.”

“Our lips are sealed,” I promise.

***

Finally, the time comes to depart, and we line up in the
corridor as Vin quickly outlines our travel plans. I introduce Jarod to Jenna,
and he eyes her appraisingly. Jenna moves to stand beside Dante, clutching
tightly onto his hand. I sigh. It feels like I’m losing my best friend before
I’ve properly had time to cement her status as such.

As the steel shutter lifts, a rush of
fresh air wafts into the room, and I draw greedy breaths deep into my lungs.

Taking one final look, I bid goodbye to
the Mock-Up Facility, glad to be putting it behind me.

I’m more than ready to step into my new
life.

I’m aching for it.

I’m strapped tightly into my seat on the Subvee that will
take us down to Thalassic City. Edgy anticipation charges the space around me.
I exchange an excited look with Jarod. Neve is seated on my opposite side,
staring out the side window, looking extremely cool and detached.

She’s most likely seen all manner of
amazing things as a bullion. Something like this clearly doesn’t hold her
interest. Jarod and I—on the other hand—are grinning at each other like two
giddy children on Christmas morning.

Vin stands at the top end of the carriage.
He coughs loudly and everyone goes quiet. “The trip to Thalassic City will take
approximately forty minutes, and we’ll be leaving shortly.” He walks down the
aisle, scanning each face as he passes. “Registrars will greet us upon arrival,
and they will assign accommodation. Those of you who are under eighteen will be
housed in one of the communal apartment blocks under my supervision. Apartments
accommodate two individuals of the same sex.”

A few discontented murmurs spread around
the cabin, and Vin makes little attempt to disguise his knowing grin. “Males
and females are only permitted to cohabit when they are married. Some rules
remain intact.” He raises his hands in a “don’t shoot the messenger” type of
way. “Families will be assigned to residential blocks of mixed apartments and
houses, and individuals over eighteen will be assigned to accommodation in
separate units. You can choose to nominate your roommate or we’ll assign you
one.”

A few rows ahead of me, Jenna swivels in
her seat and catches my eye. Waggling her brows, she gives me a nervous thumbs-up.
Neve’s disapproval leaches into the air. I return Jenna’s gesture, affirming
our plans. I’d previously promised her I’d room with her in Thalassic City, and
I don’t like breaking promises.

“I can’t believe you’re rooming with her.
I was sure you would’ve changed your mind.” Neve doesn’t hide her unhappiness,
hissing in my ear. A bitter pang of guilt zips through me.

“I’m sorry, Neve, but I promised her
first. And I need to keep an eye on her. She’s incapable of resisting Dante’s
advances, and I don’t trust him not to get her in trouble.”

Pushing blonde bangs off her face, she
goes rigid. As she twists away from me, I spot the flare of jealousy on her
face, and my guilt spirals off the chart.

Jarod is tipping forward in his seat
carefully monitoring the pair of us. He pulls my hand away from my mouth. I
hadn’t realized I was gnawing off the end of my finger.

“I hope she appreciates your loyal
friendship. But you’re right. She does need you more,” Neve says. Her voice is
clipped, but her expression says she’s genuine.

Before I can respond, I’m bumped forward
in my seat as the Subvee powers to life. A low vibration shudders under my feet
and a metallic screeching sound assaults my eardrums as the carriage thrusts
forward, slowly at first.

“Prepare yourselves. This will be rough
until we reach the bottom of the ocean; thereafter, it will be like floating on
clouds. There are paper bags tucked under your seat, if anyone needs them.” Vin
straps himself into a seat at the top of the cabin.

Butterflies the size of bats dance a tango
in my stomach.

Jarod squeezes my hand. “Try to relax. You
look like you’re gonna puke.”

I smile feebly at him, purse my lips, and
will my body to calm down.

The Subvee shoots forward without warning,
and then it rockets downwards at huge speed. Air expels from my lungs, and I
open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. My terrorized vocal cords are
paralyzed. My body strains against the harness, and though I know there’s no
way I can fall out, it does nothing to quell the rampant hysteria pummeling me
from all sides. My hair whips around me and I’m grateful it’s short. Somehow, I
don’t think a hair sandwich would be helpful with the whole non-puking effort
I’m currently engaged in.

A whistling noise rumbles in my ears, and
the skin on my face jiggles painfully as we pick up speed. My eyes stinging, I
mentally count to ten and squeeze them shut. It doesn’t feel quite as scary in
the dark. Go figure.

Jarod squeezes my hand again, and I
welcome the reassuring gesture.

We continue hurtling downward for what
feels like eternity until gradually the Subvee slows down. A garish crunching
sound perforates my eardrums and I scream. The craft rotates in an upward
motion until we are right-ended. My spine eases back against the chair, and my
rampant breathing starts to balance out. I risk opening my eyes.

“That’s the worst part over,” Vin
confirms. “Now sit back and enjoy the ride.”

The side windows expand automatically and
bright spotlights illuminate the spectacular view. A myriad of different sea
life float all around us as we dart past. Sporadic bursts of water erupt in
shooting plumes that spray the Subvee on all sides. We are traveling at high
velocity, so it’s difficult to properly identify the bottom dwellers outside
the window. It’s like journeying through the largest, brightest, most dazzling,
mobile rainbow, and my eyes strain as vibrant colors and shapes dance in front
of me.

The gentle rocking motion of the Subvee is
soothing. Sinking into my seat, I permit myself to relax.

“Wow,” Jarod says, stretching forward in
his seat. “This is fricking awesome.” His eyes glitter with unashamed awe.

“I know. It’s unreal.” We share matching
grins.

In the distance, I detect a massive blurry,
white domelike structure, which grows larger and larger as we advance. A
million glittering lights illuminate the city from within and I’m staggered by
the sight. Straining in my seat, I notice what seem to be other similar
structures alongside it. Puzzled, I squint.

“What’s up?” Jarod asks.

“It looks like there is more than one
city. Look.” I point with my outstretched hand. Having a height advantage, he
may be able to see more clearly.

Jarod surveys the scene ahead. “You’re
right. That’s what it looks like all right.” He stares off, immersed in
thought, as I ease back down in my seat.

As we make our approach, the lights become
bigger and brighter, and my excitement builds to fever-pitch proportions. I
can’t believe the moment is upon us.

I can almost taste my dreams on my tongue.

After a few minutes, the Subvee slows its
pace, and we trundle into a slim tunnel. Black walls encroach on all sides and
it’s spooky as hell. I clasp Jarod’s hand in the dark as we inch forward for
miles in complete and utter darkness. We slam to a halt abruptly and I lurch
forward.

The Subvee is stationary while a metal
shutter closes behind us. Outside, the lights burst forth, partially blinding
me. Water drains away underneath the floor, and the metal shutter opens in
front, granting access to the station. The Subvee glides smoothly forward.

A formidable line of officials stands on
the platform, digipads firmly in hand. Rising on shaky legs, I take Jarod’s
offered hand and step out into the aisle.

We alight onto the platform where Vin is
busy directing people to different officials. He points us toward a surly man
with a heavily lined face who processes us quickly.

Following the crowd, we leave the platform
behind as we walk through a bustling station, bursting at the seams with new
arrivals. Vin leads us to an elevator, and we all pile in. We exit on a higher
level and trail him to another smaller station.

A sleek, elongated red and black train
with the letters TCRT etched into the side waits alongside the platform.

“This is the main Rapid Transit station,”
Vin explains, projecting his voice so everyone can hear. “It’s the only form of
mass transit in Thalassic City. Swipe your wrist at the entry point to gain
access. The location of your assigned accommodation has already been
transmitted to your D-pad, so make sure to look out for your stop. Those of you
who are in the communal apartments with me will exit at platform twenty-three.
Now, let’s get on board.”

I step into the brightly lit carriage, and
a sharp, fresh, cloying smell itches my nostrils. The train is pristine in its
newness, and I’m nearly afraid to sit down. My colleagues have no such qualms
as bodies drop left, right, and center into seats with palpable relief.

Neve drags me to a section with six seats
and a center table, and I scoot into a chair beside her. Jarod throws our
backpacks into the overhead locker and flings himself into the seat opposite
us.

“Is it wrong that I feel like destroying
the place?” A shit-eating grin spreads across his mouth.

“What?” I tilt my chin.

“It’s too new. It feels real weird.”

“You’re weird.”

He breaks out a laugh. “Guess it will take
some getting used to. I’m afraid to touch anything.”

“A minute ago you were itching to wreck
the place.” My eyes flit over his head as Dante leads Jenna to the opposite end
of the carriage.

“Not wreck the place, Sadie, give it more
of a lived-in look. So it feels more like home.”

“I don’t want it to feel like home,” I
blurt out. “As long as it doesn’t feel real, then I can believe in the dream.”
Although I’m slightly embarrassed at the transparency of my statement, I’m
thrilled that articulating my opinions is finally coming more naturally to me.

“You say stuff like that a lot,” Neve
says. “Why?”

My leg taps anxiously up and down. My gaze
bounces from Neve to Jarod and back again. They both stare at me curiously.

“I don’t particularly like my home, so
anywhere else seems like heaven to me.” It’s as much of the truth as I’m
willing to admit at this moment.

The train glides calmly out of the station,
and we’re all adequately distracted as we stare out the window. Rugged
mountainous landscape surrounds us on all sides as the train moves effortlessly
out of the station. Glorious sunshine beats down on the carriage sending
fragments of luminous light flooding the cabin. Straining forward, I look down
and stare in amazement at the crystal clear water beneath us. I know from my
research that the engineers incorporated plenty of water features in the city,
but I hadn’t expected it would look so natural. It’s almost as if the real sea
is flowing underneath us.

Unexpectedly, the bright daylight
evaporates, and we’re bathed in pitch-black darkness as the train enters a tunnel
dug into the mountainside. We all collectively inhale.

We exit the other side, and the city lies
below us, stretched out in all its magnificent splendor. I’m squashing Neve
into the side of the carriage in my eagerness to soak it all up.

A multitude of glass high-rises and sleek
white multi-leveled buildings stretch for miles. No two buildings are
constructed the same, and I’m in awe at the creativeness of the architectural
team. Soft circular dome-shaped buildings mix with angular pyramid-shaped roofs
and spire-like structures.

As the train descends and we get closer, I
notice the patches of green areas interspersed between the buildings and the
sleek walkways that snake from flat ground to higher level in smooth, curved
lines. Row upon row of one-story glistening storefronts occupies a condensed
side of the city, and pristine sidewalks line the space in between. Leafy
woodland spans the entire perimeter, at least as far as I can see from this
vantage point. A narrow river winds through the center of the city, and a
massive waterfall cascades into an inviting pool where the river widens at what
appears to be the outskirts of the dense industrial and retail sectors we’ve
just traveled through.

Now the landscape flattens out, and the
towering buildings give way to quaint residential towns with a mixture of
brownstones, split-level houses, and multistoried apartment blocks. The river
has expanded in depth and width, and several larger houses, with individual
docks, occupy prime location near the water’s edge. Boats of all sizes and
shapes skim the edges, floating gently on the dappled surface.

The woodland is thicker and more developed
out here, and several brand-spanking-new sports fields and arenas pop up every
few miles.

Tears well in my eyes as I struggle to
absorb it all. Even though I’ve spent the last few weeks walking virtually in
this world, nothing tops the reality of seeing it with my own two eyes. It’s so
beautiful it makes my heart ache, in a good way. After spending so much time
trapped in the Mock-Up Facility, I can’t wait to start exploring our new city.
The fact that I’m free to do that consistently blows my mind. That there are no
curfews and no restrictions and I’m free to go and do exactly what I please
seems too good to be true.

Though my feet have yet to land on solid
ground, I already understand how difficult it’s going to be to have to leave
here in six months. Already, it feels more like home than my home has ever
felt.

“Hey,” Jarod says softly. “Are you okay?”
Stretching across the table, he hands me a tissue.

I wipe away the tear that has leaked out
of the corner of my eye. “Yep. It’s just so amazing. I can’t believe we get to
live here for the next six months. It feels too dreamlike to be real.”