Vessel (15 page)

“Bane’s never spoken of it. How am I supposed to explain how I know of it?”

“I don’t know. Recruits talk. Tell him someone mentioned it and you want to see it. Believe me, you really do want to see it. It’s the largest collection of books in the western hemisphere.”

“Okay, so say Bane lets me go or takes me there. Then what?”

“That’s where you’ll see Alana, but whatever you do, for pity’s sake, don’t speak to her. You nearly ruined everything that day in the gym.”

“How do you know she’ll be there?”

“That’s where she works, with me.”

“With you?”

“It was my idea. They needed a place to put her. Make another scene and they’ll want to remove her permanently.” Kinder raised his crooked index finger to make a point.

“But why? What do they care?”

“Men and women are not allowed friendships here. Not at your level. It causes undue complications and escape attempts. You betrayed feelings for Alana that day. You mustn’t let it happen again.”

“Betrayed feelings? Does no one have the slightest sense of sympathy for someone in pain here?” I already knew the answer to the question. Anders had hinted at it days before. Feeling someone else’s pain was a weakness, something to be hidden away. And that was something I was supposed to be learning how to do.

“All I’m saying is if you do, you’ll regret it.”

Kinder’s eyes bored into me the way only his could to make his point. I believed him. I knew what Anders was capable of. I’d have to be satisfied with just seeing Alana. I’d figure out the rest later.

“All right,” I said. “Agreed.”

“And then you’ll help me?”

“And then we’ll see.”

“Your word, Recks, or I’ll personally see to it that you never see Alana again,” he spat. The ropy veins in his neck stood out as he squeezed my arm. I’d never known Kinder to threaten me. I tried to pull away, but his bony fingers dug into my skin.

“It’s important, Recks. So very, very critical … ”

Frightened at his behavior, I relented.

“All right, all right. I give you my word. I’ll help you find your precious secret when I see her for myself.”

Gaining permission from Master Bane was far easier than I anticipated. I took twice as many downloads since I’d been separated from Shim. I suppose he thought I needed a break. He even let me ride up in the leather-padded elevator by myself. The door stopped at level eleven, and I stepped out into the library. This time, the windows framing the snowy mountain were all around me. People sat in chairs reading books; some perused long stacks of books that stretched on forever. I never thought I’d see so many volumes in one place, let alone a place kept by the Reticents.

The walls were completely glass; no wood or concrete blocked the view. Outside, huge flakes of snow drifted silently to the earth, glinting in the pink glow of Mother’s Love rippling across the sky. The world was entirely covered in snow. It felt like ages since I’d been outside. I felt disconnected and off-kilter. I leaned my forehead against the glass and looked eleven stories down.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

I lifted my head off the glass and turned to face Kinder, who looked at me more like a kindly old grandfather than last night. Before I answered, he spoke again, grasping my hand warmly.

“You must be new to the library. I’m Master Kinder. Let me show you around.”

“Okay … ”

“And what is your name, young recruit?”

I understood now, he wanted me to play along. We were supposed to be strangers.

“I’m Recks.”

He shook my hand. “Ah, well it’s very nice to meet you, Recks. What brings you here? Anything in particular you want to research?”

“I think you know the answer to that.”

A split second of anger flashed in his eyes and was gone instantly. “I’ll show you the catalog first. Everyone enjoys that. Come,” he said, walking away.

I followed him, but I searched for Alana down the rows and rows of books encased in hard, clear plastic.

“Every volume is kept in its own sealed container, which is adjusted to its own ideal humidity level. It also holds the cataloging data that makes the volume instantly locatable,” said Kinder. I only half listened to him, annoyed he took what seemed to be the long way around. I wasn’t that interested in the catalog. All this information was in the digital downloads anyway, wasn’t it? Kinder ignored me ignoring him and continued to talk, walking slowly through the stacks to annoy me, I’m sure.

“The catalog is also a security system. Some books are low security, available to anyone. Others are more … sensitive.”

“Sensitive?”

“Some hold closely guarded secrets of the Reticents. Special permission is required to access them.” That piqued my interest.

“Are you saying there are new books written by Reticents?”

“Oh yes, the Reticents have not only preserved science, they practice it and preserve their discoveries.”

“What fields of science do they practice?”

“That is not for me to say, Recruit Recks. Should you ever ascend to the highest ranks, you may be privileged to learn for yourself.”

“Do
you
know, Master Kinder?”

Kinder considered my question for a moment.

“I know some things—I daresay, many things—but I don’t know all.”

“How long have you been here?” I wondered if he would tell me the truth.

“Long enough,” was all he said. “Here we are … the catalog.”

As we turned the corner, Kinder gestured down the aisle. I followed his extended hand with my eyes. A slim figure clad in black stood in front of a wide glass panel, tapping on the liquid crystal display in various places. Deep in concentration, she never looked up. The curves of her body told me she was female, but I’d never seen Alana dressed this way. Her hair was still short, so it looked wrong to me.

“Is that … ?”

“Yes … the fastest super computer the Reticents own,” said Kinder.

“What’s she doing?” I heard myself whisper.

“She assists me in keeping the records up to date. She’s probably entering some new documents into the catalog.”

“I want to talk to her,” I said, stepping forward. Kinder stepped in my way.

“Did you forget your promise to me so soon?” he said.

I tore my eyes away from her and looked at Kinder’s face, his eyes narrowing at me.

“When can I speak to her?” I asked.

“Possibly never.”

Now it was my turn to be angry.

“Unless, of course, you can help me with my errand,” suggested Kinder.

I glanced back at Alana, wanting more than anything to be close to her again.

“Okay,” I relented. “What do you want me to do?”

I reluctantly followed Kinder away from Alana to the back of the library where he opened a door with an electronic code. The door slid open without a sound and we stepped inside. Once it closed, Kinder dropped the kindly librarian act, speaking in a hushed, urgent voice.

“By now, even you must have noticed there’s an energy source in this compound none of us have ever seen,” he said.

“Of course I’ve noticed.”

“It’s not just any source like coal or wood burning. It’s what the previous world called ‘nuclear’ before the Dark Time.”

“Nuclear? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Not surprising since they keep it quiet. They don’t download that knowledge to just anyone and certainly not to recruits.”

“So what is it?”

“Nuclear is an extremely powerful and potentially dangerous source of energy. Properly harnessed, it provides thousands of hours of electricity, but there are other, more sinister uses as well.”

“Where does it come from?”

“It comes from the splitting of atoms. Somewhere in this compound is a particle accelerator, but I haven’t been able to locate it.”

“What makes you think I can find it when you haven’t been able to?”

“Because, my dear Recks, I no longer possess your strength or agility. There are passageways in this building I cannot negotiate, but you could. I’ll show you how to get in and you can search for the accelerator.”

“This building is huge. That could take forever. I don’t even know what this thing looks like.”

“You won’t need to search every inch. I’ve narrowed it down quite a bit already. As for how it looks, you’ll know when you see it.”

“So I find this thing for you. Then what?”

“It depends on the plans the Reticents have for it.”

“Plans?”

“Remember I said it could be used for sinister purposes?”

“Yes, Mas—” It seemed strange to call him Master.

“I’m afraid they intend to use it against other nations.”

“How do you use a power source against someone?”

Kinder frowned. “How many history downloads have you had?” he asked. “Have you learned of the World Wars?”

“No,” I admitted. It felt like I’d downloaded so much, and yet Kinder was constantly bringing up things I knew nothing about. I must’ve known less than nothing before.

“Bane must be keeping you in the dark for some reason. I’ll find a way to get you some extra downloads, teach you a thing or two so you know what we’re up against.”

“We? Does this really have to include me?”

“Only if you want to get out of here.”

“There’s no way out of here. Not with these stupid computer chips in our heads. You don’t have one?”

“Oh, I have one all right. We all do, but there are ways around them.”

Kinder sat down at a computer console and began typing away at the keyboard. Almost immediately, I received the download. My knees buckled, and I slipped into the nearest seat to keep from falling down.

“You could have warned me,” I mumbled.

“Just a short one. You need to know. When it’s finished, return to your quarters. I’ll contact you again later.”

I hardly noticed Kinder leaving the room as the download took over my consciousness. It showed me a war and a civilization called Japan. Another country annihilated two Japanese cities with nuclear weapons. Survivors wandered, dazed and burned, through my mind. Their eyes haunted me. They had Alana’s eyes. My eyes. Did Kinder believe the Reticents would do such a thing with their energy source?

***

“Recks?” a soft voice roused me. It was hers.

“Alana … I had the craziest dream. We were captured. They cut your hair.” I reached for her curtain of black hair but touched only her shoulder.

“It wasn’t a dream, Recks.”

“Huh?” My eyes flew open as I started upright. Her scar, fully visible now that she couldn’t hide it with her hair, trailed across her face like the roots of a tree. She held her head in a bowed position, a habit learned and practiced for way too many years.

“Seems like I’m always waking you up,” she teased.

I straightened myself in the chair and looked around. “Am I still in the library?” I rubbed my eyes.

“Yes. Kinder’s gone for the moment.”

Suddenly, I realized I was with Alana again after all this time. I wrapped my arms around her in an awkward hug. I felt her stiffen and then relax. I let her go quickly, not wanting to make her any more uncomfortable than I already had. She was still like a wild animal, timid and wary of anyone.

“I didn’t know if I’d see you again,” I tried to explain.

“Are you all right?” she asked. I’d been injured the last time she saw me.

“Yes, my arm’s better. Now if I could get this thing out of my head.” I felt the back of my neck like I’d done a thousand times before. “How are you?” I asked her. “Are you all right?”

Alana hesitated.

“What is it?”

“Is Kinder your friend?”

“I wouldn’t say that. At this point, you’re the only true friend I have in the world. Has he done something to you?” I felt a panicked anger in my chest at the thought.

“He’s made me the Vessel.”

“Vessel? Vessel for what?”

“I’m the repository for the knowledge Kinder wishes to steal from the Reticents. He’s given me more memory than the average recruit.”

“Why?”

A purple light glowed on Alana’s wristband. She pulled away from me. It was only then I realized I’d been holding her hands, or she’d been holding mine.