Unison (The Spheral) (21 page)

“I almost didn’t recognize you with all that hair on your face and head,” Tyrus said. “You look like a cross between a wolf and a bear.”

“No one to impress out here but wolves and bears.”

“And an old Unitian purple sleeve who’s too tired to laugh—but I’m near hysterics on the inside.” Tyrus marched ahead.

I followed him and rubbed my beard. “Think the women back in Unity would be horrified or impressed by my new look?”

“They’d probably prefer you over most Unitian men.”

“Why did you leave?” I asked.

Tyrus didn’t respond and remained silent during most of our walk back to the cabin. I didn’t believe Lidian’s story anymore, but I kept my hand on my plazer.

“My conscience wore me down,” Tyrus finally said as we started our descent towards the middle ridge. “I was too exhausted to fight it any longer.”

“Would you like to stop and rest?”

“I would like to forget.”

Tyrus continued walking, and when we got to the ridge overlooking my cabin, he stopped and seemed confused. “I haven’t been well lately.” He rubbed his forehead.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stop and—”

“I’ll be okay.” He continued ahead.

Once inside the cabin, Tyrus set down his backpack and was immediately drawn to the panoramic window as were most Unitians who visited.

“We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” I said.

“No rush. I’m interested to hear about your travels.”

“Haven’t traveled much lately.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Unity exists everywhere. This is the only place where I can live freely.”

“I wish you kept that to yourself.”

“I got thrown out of New Athenia because of Lidian 1229.”

“201-111?” Tyrus appeared worried.

“He said you murdered a crailer.”

“Lidian is the murderer. He left before Unity Forces could get to him.”

“He also killed an Athenian female.”

“Not everyone can be reintegrated. Some people are too damaged. I warned the Overseer about such a thing, but he believes he can solve all of Unity’s problems because of his Prime Wisdom.”

“The Overseer is insane. I don’t even want to contemplate what his
Prime Wisdom
will tell him to do next.”

“Transmit Harmony to fetuses.”

“Why haven’t I heard anything about—”

“I couldn’t risk telling anyone until I cleared the beacons.”

I slumped onto the chair. “When that woman interrupted my induction, I thought she was a threat to Unity, but I was the threat. I condemned a whole population to slavery.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Damon. We all believed in the Overseer. He gave us what we all wanted—to be part of something larger than ourselves.”

“I spent the last year asking myself why I blindly followed the Sacred Oath, and I haven’t come up with an acceptable answer.”

“The Overseer must be stopped. He’s now telling everyone that he’s god.” Tyrus lost his bearing, and I helped him over to the chair. “He had miraculous graphics made in his image, and he projects them into the minds of the public each morning and evening.”

“The Chosen agreed to this?”

“They’re all spineless. They don’t want to lose their color or privileges. That’s why I resigned my Chosen seat. I was no different from—” Tyrus gazed at the pictures on the wall and froze when he noticed the one with Torrin and Old Woman.

“Did you know them?” I asked.

“I knew Torrin. He was a well-respected Chosen.” Tyrus faced me. “Is he here?”

“He died a little more than two years ago. Do you know why he was accused of treason?” I asked.

“The charge was a fabrication. He had something on the Overseer but wouldn’t disclose anything until I committed to testifying on his behalf. I had too much to lose, so I turned him down. Torrin was soon removed from the Chosen and stripped of his purple sleeve—supposedly for stealing credits, but those loyal to him refused to believe he was guilty. 

“What did you believe?”

“Torrin was headstrong, domineering, and argumentative. He’d always speak the last words at a Corporate meeting. After he lost his color, the Corporate Hierarchy mistakenly believed he was forever silenced.” Tyrus appeared to reflect upon the picture of Torrin. “He blew up the towers and left Unity in a blaze of fire.” Tyrus laughed. “Good thing he left when he did. I don’t think he would’ve been able to top himself after that one.”

Tyrus glanced at a picture of Wade and me standing at the top of the ridge. “I told Wade the game was fixed. You’re forced to submit to someone’s ideology when you don’t have power, and you force your ideology on others when you have power. If he heeded my advice, he would’ve been okay.”

“With advice like that, what did you expect him to do?” I asked.

“Get the slock out of Unity.” He leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes. “I must rest now for a while.”

Tyrus and I had nothing left to say for the rest of the day. The only thing we had in common was Unity, and that was something we both wanted to forget. Shisa and I walked him to the old tunnel the next morning. We had to spend several hours in a trainlet so he could rest. When we got to the other side, I handed him a map. “Be safe on your journey, Master Tyrus.”

“Please, don’t call me that anymore.” He placed the map in his coat pocket.

“You’re the only man who deserves that title.” I bowed to him.

“Thank you, Damon. Your sincerity almost makes me believe it.”

“Believe it. You were the only one who voted against my entry into University. You were the only one who saw through me.”

“I did, but not for the reason you think.” Tyrus smiled and left.

OFF THE CANVAS

I
was sketching by the river’s edge when Shisa arrived with a pinecone in her mouth. She dropped it near my feet.

“Not now, Shisa.”

She nudged the pinecone over my foot.

“You win.” I tossed the pinecone, and she ran after it until a rabbit made itself a more interesting target.

“That should keep you busy for a while.”

I continued with my sketching, concentrating on the shading and blending, which was the most difficult technique for me to master. As with my playing the violin, time disappeared when I sketched. However, on this morning, it moved slower than the snail that had been heading in my direction since my arrival. I scrutinized my work and wasn’t satisfied with how I portrayed the light reflecting off the water. Frustrated, I closed my sketch pad.
There’s always tomorrow.

Shisa hadn’t yet returned, and I whistled for her. When she failed to make an appearance, I headed home expecting to find her along the path. About halfway down, she emerged from the brush and barked.

“It’s about time.”

Shisa continued to bark and paced along the width of the path.

“
I’m
the one who should be barking.” I pointed to myself. “I’ve been looking for you for the past hour.”

I walked ahead, and Shisa strutted beside me, barking.

I stopped and crossed my arms. “I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood to play now. I’m hungry.” I rubbed my belly.

She whimpered, and I smiled at her. “Once you see what I’m planning for breakfast, you’ll...”

Shisa ran towards the cabin, and I sauntered behind her. She stopped to wait for me, and her barks sounded more desperate.

“All right. You win…again.”

Shisa led me down to the middle ridge. When we got to the side that overlooked my cabin, she stopped and circled around an unconscious female Unity Guard. I glanced up at the steep crag from which she fell. It was almost a four-meter drop. As I tilted my head down toward the injured guard, the COR alarm went off. I was struck by a wave of vertigo and struggled to remain on my feet.

The guard moaned, and I shut off the alarm. “Stay still. Your back may be broken.” I kneeled beside her. “Can you move your legs?”

The guard slowly moved her heels from side to side.

“I’m going to call...” I gasped when I noticed a heart-shaped beauty mark on her neck. The guard lifted her head, and I immediately recognized her. It was the same woman I painted and hung on my wall in New Athenia. “Flora?” I clutched my forehead as memories from my first incarnation jetted into my consciousness. I clearly remembered our first night at the observatory, how Flora’s hair looked unbound, and the blast from the plazer that ended her life. I recalled it all as clearly as my first hiking trip with Wade.

Shisa sat next to me, and I petted her. “You keep watch over her. I’ll be back.” I ran down to my cabin to retrieve my med kit while memories of my past incarnation continued to present themselves.
You don’t actually believe you’re reliving your life? It’s obvious you’re being reintegrated or suffering from the
scourge.
Then came the rebuttal on my way back up the ridge.
The scourge isn’t real. I’ve already proved that to myself. This can’t be reintegration; everything looks too real, and my knowledge of being tested would be enough to wake me up…unless some new technology was developed since my departure.

Shisa ran to me when I made it halfway up the ridge. “I thought I told you to stay with the guard.”

She followed me back up and when we arrived at the clearing, Flora was waiting with her plazer aimed at me.

“You’re safe here.” I showed her my med kit. “I can help you.” All the feelings I had for Flora in my first incarnation returned, which confused my interpretation of the present situation.

“Don’t move.” Flora walked slowly towards me. “Raise both your hands where I can see them.”

Shisa growled.

“It’s okay, Shisa.”

Shisa didn’t seem to agree with my assessment and continued to growl.

I lifted my hands and smiled at Flora. “You’re Flora…right?”

“How do you know my name?”

“If I tell you, you wouldn’t believe me.” I laughed. “I don’t believe me either.” I approached Flora. “My cabin is nearby. We can continue this—”

Flora fired a warning shot that pulled me back into present reality.

“Stay where you are!” Flora yelled.

Shisa growled and bolted towards Flora.

“Shisa, no!” I yelled.

Flora shot Shisa when she rose on to her hind legs. She fell to the ground, and blood poured out from underneath her in a thick stream.

Flora stared at me with a coldness that made me question if she was human. “Damon 1300-333-1M, you’ll submit to the Corporate Hierarchy of Unity and refrain from speech until a confessor is present.”

“She wouldn’t have hurt you.”

“All words and actions will be used against you in the court of ideals.”

I kneeled down and stroked Shisa’s head. “She wouldn’t hurt even the tiniest ant.”

“Didn’t look that way to me.”

I glared at Flora. “Shisa doesn’t like plazers.”

Shisa whimpered softly as I stroked her behind her ears. “Sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

After one last cry, Shisa closed her eyes. I clutched the grip of my plazer, ready and willing to exact justice.

“Cease your action!” Flora said.

“What if I don’t? Will you put me down like her?” I pointed at Shisa.

“Unity Forces are on their way. There’s nowhere else for you to go. You must return to Unity and answer to the charges.”

“What are the charges?”

“Your confessor can only reveal that information.”

“I’m not going back. I’d rather die than return to Dome Dungeon.” I went to pull out my plazer, and Flora shot me. A stinging sensation radiated across my chest, and I fell on to my back.

Flora pressed her boot against my hips and secured my plazer. “Don’t move, and you’ll be safe.” Flora stepped back with her plazer still pointed at me. “When you begin reintegration, clarity will return to your diseased mind.”

With painstaking effort, I managed to roll myself on to my abdomen. “Is that where I am now? Reintegration?”

“Stay still. You need medical attention.”

I got myself on to all fours and crawled towards the precipice. I wasn’t going to wait for Unity Forces to take me to reintegration, and if I was already in reintegration, none of this would make a difference anyway.

“Stay where you are!”

I got up on my knees and admired the cabin. A wave of peace carried me to an acceptance of what I had to do.

“Don’t move any further!” Flora shouted.

I dove forward and didn’t feel myself hit the ground.

When I opened my eyes, Sutara was looking down at me. “You must remember sooner.”

“Is this reintegration?” I asked.

Flora peered at me from over the edge and then disappeared from view.

Sutara knelt beside me. “What you were isn’t who you are anymore. You must believe that, Damon.”

“I can’t.”

Sutara cried, and I placed my hand on the side of her face. “Not until I stop myself from inventing Harmony.”

“There will always be something you’ll want to change. You must stop your self-recriminations and remember.”

I had another excuse to follow my own course. Flora came flying over the cliff and landed beside me. A thick stream of blood flowed from out of a plazer blast wound on her chest. I surveyed the top of the ridge. Someone was staring down at us, but I couldn’t see who it was from that height.