The ARC 02: Talented

  Talented

  THE ARC BOOK TWO

  Alexandra Moody

  http://alexandramoody.com

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright © 2015 by Alexandra Moody

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Edited by Pete Thompson

  Cover Design by Alexandra Moody

  For my sisters.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  There is no fighting the cold fear that slithers down my spine. No going back to the protective depths of the fallout shelter I’ve spent a lifetime calling home. And no ignoring the stark reality of the new world that lies before me.

  Hope City glimmers like a shining beacon below us. With its soaring glassy towers that capture the sunlight on their skin, the place sparkles like a handful of tiny diamonds in the light. It’s better than anything I could have dreamed up, and such a far cry from the fallout shelter I’ve been taken from. I couldn’t compare the two if I tried.

  Despite my awe, I watch the sprawling metropolis with distrusting eyes. Thousands of people still live in a darkened world underground, with not even the slightest clue life has returned to the surface. Could this place really exist? It’s too good to be true—it has to be.

  Gord is quiet as he concentrates on carefully lowering the helicopter down towards the landing platform. His tense jaw and hardened expression reveal his focus is totally on the job at hand. I should be excited about flying through the skies and finally seeing the sun. I should feel ecstatic I’m so close to finding Sebastian. But seeing this secret city, finally knowing the truth after so many years in the dark, I feel nothing but fear.

  Looking outside my window as we descend, I am confronted by the world that lies just beyond. Towers that had initially only been small, shiny spikes, off in the distance, loom over me. With their mighty reach, they leave only a hint of sky above us—a small square of blue, framed by the harsh outlines of the surrounding buildings.

  One building is so close to us now the helicopter is reflected along its surface. My eyes travel down the windows that shimmer like molten liquid to the ground that draws closer. The concrete square we aim for is partially covered in shadow from the tall building nearest to us, with a thick yellow circle painted like a target on the ground.

  My hands begin shaking, so I push them against my legs to still the quiver. I close my eyes and sit back in my seat, trying to relax.

  As the helicopter touches down it jolts, throwing my body forward against the restraints across my chest. I grab hold of the edge of my seat and squeeze the material tightly.

  I shouldn’t be here.

  A woman runs towards us across the helipad, ducking down low as she makes her way to my door. Her hair is a vibrant red under the sunshine, and her bright blue sundress billows as the helicopter propellers gust at her.

  I want to ask Gord why she’s wearing clothes from before impact, but my mouth goes dry and the words stick in my throat. A face appears at my door and the red-headed woman opens it.

  ‘Hi Elle,’ she says, pleasantly enough. ‘Welcome to Hope. My name is Faye and I’m here to escort you to the reintegration centre.’

  I can feel my head nodding, but the reaction feels disconnected from the rest of my body, which remains sitting rigidly in the seat. My eyes dart from the woman’s face to Gord’s. He gives me an encouraging nod, indicating I should follow this stranger.

  ‘Go on…’ he suggests, when I continue to hesitate.

  My hands, still tight around the edge of the seat, begin to sweat and a wave of nausea hits me. I can’t imagine myself leaving the safety of the chopper and the thought makes my breath run short and shallow.

  ‘The sun’s out, the air is fresh … it’s really beautiful out here,’ Faye says.

  I glance past her at the vibrant green trees in the garden that lines the far side of the helipad. Their leaves almost shimmer in the breeze, rising and falling as though taking part in some ancient dance from time long gone by. She’s right, it is beautiful, but my lungs constrict, and I struggle to breathe easily as I try to process the fact I’m about to step out onto the surface.

  I slowly take off my headset and place it carefully on the seat, my hands clearly shaking as I lay it down.

  ‘Thank you,’ I say to Gord.

  He gives an easy wave of his hand. ‘Anytime.’

  The propellers are still rotating as I lower myself from the helicopter. They blow my hair everywhere and whip my dull grey clothes against my body. As my feet step down onto the solid ground, I hold my hair back from my face and look up to the blue sky far above. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in, tasting the crisp air that fills my lungs.

  I’ve made it.

  Once we’re clear of the helicopter, it lifts off the ground and up into the air. I watch as it moves off into the distance and, when it disappears from sight, I feel very much alone again.

  ‘Elle…’

  ‘Yes?’ I turn away from the sky to face Faye.

  ‘If you’d like to come with me, we’ll go inside now.’ She indicates with one hand towards the large building that covers the helipad with its long shadow. It’s smaller than the other skyscrapers we flew past to get here, but massive all the same, and the way it looms over us here on the ground it’s all the more intimidating.

  I am led to an entrance where two men in black suits stand with such rigid stature they couldn’t be anything other than guards. Their faces are blank and they stare out at nothing in particular, but their bodies look wired, as though ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.

  Their presence here makes me nervous and I feel a wave of uncertainty. The men are so similar to the officials in the ARC. Is it safe to enter this building? Can I trust these complete strangers? Is there even any point in feeling apprehensive when I have no power but to do as I’m told?

  I gave up any say I have in my life the second I swapped my blood sample so I could be taken. There really is nothing I can do now I’ve been brought here.

  It’s worth it, I remind myself. For Sebastian, it’s worth it.

  I pause by the door and glance back over my shoulder towards the helipad. The sun is warm, yet I have the smallest of goose bumps over my skin from the cool breeze that dances across my arms. It’s refreshing in a way I could never have imagined and I don’t want to go inside again so soon, but as the woman lightly touches
my arm to guide me forward, I know I don’t really have a choice.

  I follow her through the revolving door and into a large foyer. Only two steps into the building and I can already tell this place is nothing like the ARC. Natural light streams in through large, floor-to-ceiling windows that reach up several stories high. The ceiling, far above, scoops upwards in a curve and the floor is covered in the shiniest cream marble tiles. Large screens flash pictures of the city across them. It looks beautiful, with green parks and lakes, bustling city streets and markets. It even shows footage of children playing a ball game on a large green oval.

  Faye leads me to a locked door and punches in a code to let us in. I trail after her down a long corridor, and begin to lag further and further behind as I catch glimpses of different rooms from the open doorways. I hear the shortest snippets of conversations and the rumbling undercurrent of laughter in the rooms I pass. There’s the constant beat of some music playing further down the corridor and as we walk past an open window I notice the sounds of the busy street just beyond it. This place is so alive. A hive of activity that buzzes in a way the ARC never could.

  ‘Just in here Elle,’ Faye says, leading me into a small office. The place looks like a bomb has hit it. There are endless mounds of files scattered all over the floor and tall stacks of paper, which reach for the ceiling from the desk. She rushes to one of the seats in the room and pulls some papers off it, setting them down on top of an already teetering tower that sits on her desk, before offering the chair out to me.

  She sits down on the other side of the table and places the tablet she’s been holding down in the only spare space on the desk. With a swift movement, she spins her chair around to face the back of the room and begins sifting through a stack of folders that sits there. While she’s occupied I peer down at the screen. I find there’s a document open with lots of writing and a picture of my face in the top corner of it. The sight of my picture on the screen makes my stomach drop.

  ‘Now I swear I’d left the folder just here…’ Faye mutters to herself, as she moves to search another pile.

  I’ve never seen the photo before in my life and it looks fairly recent. How on earth did they get that? I shuffle to the edge of my seat to try and get a better look at what has been written below, but miss my opportunity as Faye turns back to me and picks the tablet back up.

  ‘No matter,’ she says, having failed to find the file she was after. ‘I just have a few initial questions, so let’s dive straight into it. Can you state your full name for me please?’

  ‘Elle Winters.’

  ‘You’re seventeen. Correct?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And your parents died on impact?’

  My eyes had started to wander towards some of the papers on her desk and they reflexively jerk back to her face.

  ‘Yes,’ I respond, unable to understand why she would need to ask such a question.

  ‘You have no blood relatives in the ARC or who have been taken?’ she reiterates.

  ‘That’s correct…’

  ‘And you never stayed with a host family for longer than five years?’

  ‘No, never longer than four.’ It’s quite obvious she already knows all these answers, almost like she’s going down a checklist and confirming its accuracy.

  She nods and then begins tapping on her tablet.

  ‘Why have I been brought here?’ I ask.

  ‘We’ll answer that in your reintegration session…’ she says, not looking up from her tablet.

  ‘Then what will happen?’

  ‘We’ll also talk more about that in your reintegration session. What I can tell you is you’re in luck,’ she smiles and looks up from her tablet. ‘We have a family available to take you in today. We will be placing you with them until you’ve become accustomed to your new life here. They will help you adjust, make sure you get to school and help you get some proper clothing from the refuse centre.’ My eyes widen at the thought. ‘Yes, you won’t be wearing those greys anymore.’

  She pulls open one of her desk drawers, takes something out and slides it across the desk towards me.

  ‘Here’s your new CommuCuff. I am assigned to your case and if you ever need to talk to someone about anything my username is programmed in as @FayeMasters. I know it can be hard to settle in, but we want the transition to be as easy as possible for you.’

  I look down at my new cuff and hope spurs inside of me.

  ‘These CommuCuffs aren’t able to sync with those in the ARC,’ she says, as though reading my thoughts. My shoulders slump, defeated. Even just one second of hoping I’d be able to contact Quinn, back in the ARC, is devastating to lose.

  I clip the cuff onto my wrist, and shake and twist it around uncomfortably. It feels too big and doesn’t sit as well as my old one did.

  ‘You’ll find this cuff’s more advanced than the ones in the ARC,’ Faye explains. ‘Most importantly, they have especially advanced GPS capabilities, so you shouldn’t be getting lost up here.’

  She begins shuffling in her seat, like she’s about to leave.

  ‘Um … before we go I have a question…’ I say, as she moves to stand up.

  ‘We really have to get you to your session,’ she responds. She doesn’t look like she wants to be answering my questions, but this may be my only chance.

  ‘I … I had a friend who was taken recently. His name’s Sebastian Scott. I’d like to see him if possible.’ I hold my breath, waiting for her response.

  ‘The name doesn’t ring a bell, sorry. We have so many people who come through here, it’s hard to keep track…’

  ‘But you’d have to remember him. He was only here a few weeks ago.’ I say.

  ‘Like I said, there are so many people who come through here and I’m not the only case manager.’ She looks slightly concerned at my insistence.

  ‘But we’ve barely had anyone taken in the last few years…’

  She laughs in response and stands. ‘Maybe from your facility,’ she says.

  ‘W-what do you mean?’ I stutter back.

  ‘You may not have realised this, but there isn’t just one ARC. There are several dozen placed all over the world.’

  ‘There are?’ I ask, jumping forward in my seat.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Why haven’t I ever heard of them before?’ I ask.

  She glances meaningfully at her CommuCuff. ‘Look, you will have plenty of time for questions in the reintegration session, which we really need to leave for if you don’t want to miss the introduction.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘I’m sorry Elle, but we’re already running late.’ She moves towards the door and pulls it open. I sigh and follow her out of the room. There may be time for questions, my only hope is they’ll be willing to provide me with the answers I need.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Faye leads me down a long and seemingly endless corridor to the other end of the building and a room identified as ‘Reintegration Room 2.’ When we walk in I’m surprised to find several other kids waiting. They are all seated, looking towards the large floor-to-ceiling windows that take up a whole wall of the room. Their hushed murmurs abruptly stop and the room falls silent as we enter, with every head turning to watch us walk in.

  I feel incredibly self-conscious as they stare at me. I try to appear like I haven’t noticed the six sets of beady eyes that scrutinise my every movement, but it’s difficult. Especially when it appears I’m the only one wearing the grey clothing from the ARC. I cross my arms over my chest as I move into the room, and try to ignore how the colour of my clothes feels even more dull than usual.

  I am directed to take a seat next to one of the boys. He looks a few years younger and he smiles shyly at me as I take a seat. Now I’m closer, I see the black slacks and black top he’s wearing are almost identical to my greys, but for the colour. I give him a slight nod and turn to look at the woman who stands in front of the window before us.

  Her dark hair is pulled back t
ightly and she smooths her hands down the front of her suit pants before she begins. ‘First off, I want to welcome you to Hope,’ she says, giving us the smile of someone who’s given that same ‘welcome’ smile countless times. It’s completely lacking any real warmth.

  ‘I’m in charge of helping people, like yourselves, become adjusted to your new home.’

  I look at the other kids, waiting to feel a jolt of recognition, but I don’t know a single one. From the looks on their faces this is all clearly new to them too. They’re definitely not from my ARC, so at least Faye was telling the truth about the other fallout shelters. I’m struggling to wrap my mind around the idea and can’t understand why they kept so many secrets from us. What reason could there possibly be?

  Looking back to the woman, I notice the street behind her. The glass window acts as a clear barrier between us and the pavement outside. People are hurrying past, not even slightly interested in our group that sits just inside. I desperately hope to see Sebastian out there, but already I’m beginning to feel a building worry about how many people there are here and how difficult it will be to find him.

  ‘As you will all be aware, you have been brought here because your blood test came back with a tainted reading. Despite what you have been told in the ARC, this is not something to be feared, rather something to be embraced. You may have been called tainted in the ARC, but what you really are is something special and quite unique.

  ‘You have all been given a gift. The gradual exposure to Lysartium over the years has slowly changed you and a mutation in your genes has allowed for the development of talents. None of you are tainted. What you do have is unbounded potential to one day be talented.’

  ‘What do you mean, talents?’ one of the boys behind me interrupts. I turn in my chair to glance at him. He must be about fifteen and has flaming red hair that sticks out at all the wrong angles. He slouches down in his chair, attempting to appear like he doesn’t care, and when he catches my eye he winks. I quickly look back to the front of the room.