Kyle's Journal:
I turned when I heard the door to the observation deck slide open and saw Nicole walk in. I couldn't help feel the spurt of selfish pleasure on seeing her caused. I made sure my parents could come with me as humanity embarked on the voyage to the new world, Zira. Anyone over 50 was not supposed to have come on the voyage, but I persuaded the council to make a few exceptions based on their expertise, my parents included.
"Kyle, why are you torturing yourself like this?"
"I'm sure I'm not the only one watching the last sight of Earth."
"Probably not," but I noticed how she averted her gaze from the viewport. "Who knew a psychologist would come in handy?" Several stress lines were already creasing about her eyes and forehead.
"Everyone is losing more than loved ones, they're losing a home, a whole planet."
"And how are you holding up?"
I gave her a tired worn smile. "Holding."
She came over and gave me a hug, but I sensed her closing her eyes. I hugged her close, she was feeling the loss just as much as I was. "Don't forget to unload on Steven. You need someone, too."
"Funny," she leaned back to cup my cheeks. "I thought I already had."
I smiled at her.
"See you, later." Then she quickly left.
As the door slid shut I turned back. My smile faded. Charred hunks were all that was left of Earth. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. Even the buried remains of Amanda and her mother were gone.
The ark spiralled on its artificial gravity rotation as its rockets fired, headed toward Zira. I only hoped Zira would be habitable. The first two probes I sent weeks ago didn't even get a chance to land. They'd been destroyed by trailing debris from the star, Bellus. The last probe had given one warning message before the signal went dead. That message was: life forms detected.
Chapter 3 - Changes Happen Quickly
Cut to Kyle in his bedroom where he calls Mark after learning he is a Latnok member.
KYLE: Hey, Mark.
MARK's voice: Hey, Kyle.
Cut to Mark where he's at his desk at Latnok. He's uneasy when Cassidy overhears him on his cell and comes over.
MARK: How are you?
KYLE (cut to him): Fine. Do you mind if I ask you a question?
MARK's voice: Ask away.
KYLE: Is it true? You're a Latnok member?
MARK's voice (sounding surprised): Ah, yeah, how'd you know?
KYLE (discovers he can hear thoughts through the cell phone's data waves): Cassidy's there?
MARK (cut to him as he glances over at Cassidy): Yeah.
CASSIDY: Invite him over.
MARK: Say, would you be interested in coming on by? See what we are about?
Cassidy nods in approval.
KYLE (cut to him): On one condition.
MARK's voice: What's that?
KYLE: That you show me around, not Cassidy.
MARK (cut to him as he frowns and avoids eye contact with Cassidy): Sure, sure. I can do that. I'll see you soon? (This time he glances over at Cassidy who relaxes when he hears what sounds like Kyle's cooperation).
KYLE's voice: See you.
Cassidy raises an eyebrow at Mark.
CASSIDY: Something else I should know besides Kyle coming here?
MARK: Ah, no, just that I'd be showing him around.
CASSIDY: Good, good. Oh, by the way, if you're still keen on dating the sister, I have no problem with that.
He leaves Mark at his desk and strolls by several members, nodding to them, pausing to stop and talk and laugh with a couple of people, Jackie in particular.
Inwardly Mark fumes.
MARK (beneath his breath): Good thing I followed my instincts and continued to see her then.
When Kyle arrives, Mark greets him.
MARK: Hey, Kyle, good to see you here.
KYLE: Thanks, Mark, for the invite.
MARK: Yes, well...
KYLE: No doubt Cassidy's persuasion.
Mark looks taken aback then nods.
MARK: He really wants you here.
KYLE: Mind if I ask you what you really think of him?
MARK (hesitates then dives in): No, in fact, I really don't like him. The others seem to get along fine with him. So, it could just be me.
KYLE (nods then smiles): I'm looking forward to meeting everyone. (Mentally, Mark is thinking exactly what he speaks).
Most of the Latnok members here are students at the university and are very open with him. In fact, very welcoming. It is the type of greeting of how Latnok should have been.
MARK: Jackie, this is Kyle. Kyle, Jackie.
JACKIE: Heard a lot about you.
KYLE: You did? (He let down one mental barrier and reads that she heard about him from Cassidy, how enthusiastic it will be for him join the group).
JACKIE: Rave reviews in fact.
A guy comes up to them and looks him over. Kyle, sensing hostility, redirects his telepathic link to him.
MARK: Ah, this is Nate Harrison.
NATE: So, you're the boy wonder Cassidy's been raving about.
Mentally he's thinking that Kyle can't be as smart as Cassidy thinks he is and Kyle picks up the he has a very competitive nature. His hostility stems from the fear that he thinks Kyle will be better and smarter than him, despite the fact that most of the students here all have high i.q.'s and all in different science areas. But there's something else hovering in the back of Nate's mind and Kyle gives a slight nudge to bring it to the surface.
NATE (thinks): So this is Adam Baylin's son, the spittin' image. Love to meet the spittin' image of Sarah's daughter though. Damn, Cassidy and the board for shunning her. Idiots, the whole lot of them.
Kyle smiles at him. Nate may be arrogant and egotistical but inwardly he's an idealist and believes in the Latnok that Adam and Sarah believed in originally.
NATE: What? You think you're smarter than me, kid?
KYLE: I think everyone here is smart and has special gifts. Isn't that why we're here?
JACKIE: Good one, kiwi.
Then as Mark leads him to meet another member, Kyle comes face to face with Cassidy.
Kyle stares him down, loathe to connect mentally but knowing he has to know what Cassidy has planned for him.
CASSIDY (smiles a smile Kyle knows is fake): So, what did I tell you? Aren't they worth meeting, mate?
CASSIDY (really thinking): About time, mother was ready to resort to extreme measures again.
The image of hiring thugs to capture him, and him only, and putting him under with certain drugs to disorient and influence him into letting go of the information, springs to Cassidy's mind.
CASSIDY (mentally continues): Glad he didn't bring the psycho's daughter, the mother was psycho enough. (And grins a compelling grin). Like mother, like daughter. She killed the hunter in the forest the moment she stepped out of her tank after all, didn't she?
But Kyle is too shocked to respond as Cassidy continues; for he sees in Cassidy's mind of him killing Sarah to silence her. She had recognized him as Latnok. Not even his mother, or the other board members he saw in that room on prom night, knew that he killed Sarah.
CASSIDY (out loud): Go, inspire them, be inspired, teach them. Shape the future. With you on board, there are no limits. (Mentally), especially if you share and pass on all that stored knowledge locked in your head.
Cut to Kyle as he meets with Foss in the warehouse.
FOSS: You want to meet with members again? After what they did to you?
KYLE: I know Cassidy has his own agenda, I need to know what the others agenda is. With my new ability now, I'll know.
FOSS (doesn't look happy): And Jessi?
KYLE: I have to tell her, she needs to know the truth.
FOSS: Let me take care of Cassidy.
KYLE: No!
FOSS: Kyle! I need to take care of-
KYLE: I mean it, I won't have you, (he stops himself before he can say "turn into Cassidy"), I won't let you harm him.
FOSS: He won't turn on you, he'll turn on those closest to you.
KYLE (places a bag of various sized rings on the table with a roll of bills): These are for my family and friends. If you get the parts, I can put in tracers. It will monitor vitals and their location, just in case any of them get captured.
Foss just looks from the bag to him.
KYLE: Just do it my way, for now? No killing if it can be avoided, (then in a lower tone of voice), no killing at all.
FOSS: Fine. I'll get the parts.
KYLE: Thank you.
Cut to the Trager house where Kyle knocks on Jessi's door. She's sitting at her desk with her laptop open.
JESSI: How did it go at Latnok?
KYLE (bites his lip): I need to tell you something. It's bad.
Jessi turns away from her desk where she was typing.
JESSI: Cassidy?
KYLE: Yeah, Cassidy.
JESSI: Just say it.
KYLE (takes a deep breath): Sarah didn't leave you.
JESSI (looks at him with suspicion then hope): She didn't? Did Cassidy scare her away and contacted you?
The saddest look crosses over his face and she shakes her head. Items in the room start shaking and rattling.
KYLE: I'm so sorry, Jessi.
JESSI: No, (she continues to shake her head, denying the truth he is about to tell her).
KYLE (can't help think of the similar situation he had with Amanda and telling her bad news): She's dead.
JESSI (narrows her eyes): Cassidy, (she says his name with venom).
KYLE: I'm afraid so. She recognized him, so, (he takes another breath), he killed her.
He holds up his hand and stops the alarm clock that suddenly flew threw the air, ripped from its socket.
In fact, he has to stop and control all the objects that fly out of control as Jessi screams and cries out in denial.
JESSI (sobs): I'll kill him!
NICOLE (rushes inside the room): Jessi!
It takes a lot of help from both Kyle and Nicole to keep Jessi calm.
KYLE: Jessi, you can't kill him. You're better than him.
JESSI (shakes her head): I'm not, I killed that man. (Then she puts a hand to her mouth and stares at Nicole in horror but all she sees is sympathy and looks over at Kyle).
KYLE: She knows. I told her.
JESSI: But how did you? You read my mind!
KYLE: I didn't have to, it was in Cassidy's mind. That information is stored in a safe he has in his office. Along with Sarah's ring.
JESSI: I want my mother's ring, I want him...dead. Can Foss...(then shakes her head again).
KYLE: No one is killing anyone.
JESSI: Do always have to be a saint?
KYLE: I don't want to be like them, I choose a non-violent path. You think it's easy being good all the time?
That's when he shows her mentally and lets her feel emotionally all his banked anger and sorrow for all the hurt he's gone through. He is right, it isn't easy for him to choose what's right, yet he does, and makes it seem so easy.
JESSI (to Nicole): But I'm bad, horrible. You can't want me now.
NICOLE: Nonsense. Of course I want you here. You need us. And I'm not giving up on you. You came out of that pod, scared, confused, having no idea who you were. Programmed with God knows what, and you reacted to danger. That camper was going to hurt you. You did what I probably would have done in that exact same situation.
Jessi looks at her in wonder and disbelief.
LORI (who has come in from time to time to clean up broken items, enters the room): I would have too, Jessi.
She gives a brief shaky smile and leaves with another garbage full of stuff. It's a wonder there's anything left to break in her room. Thanks to Kyle, her laptop is still intact. She owe's Nicole and Steven for a lot more than just stuff and this time allows Nicole to hold her as she sobs out her grief and despair.
Nicole runs a soothing hand over her head, gently rocking her.
The worst is over and Kyle leaves them alone.
What Kyle does though is go back to Latnok.
KYLE (sees Nate): Mind if I have a word with you?
NATE (grunts): Yeah, I do mind.
Kyle just stands beside Nate's desk until he can't ignore him anymore. Nate throws down his soldering tool and nods his head to Cassidy's office.
When they enter, Nate goes over and sits right in Cassidy's chair and puts his feet on the desk. An action Kyle is sure Cassidy would not approve of. Kyle checks his watch and touches a button on the side.
KYLE: Do you know where Cassidy keeps his valuables?
Although Kyle has honed his vision and detects the lasers crossing a picture frame behind the chair Nate is sitting in, he suspects Nate knows more of the inner workings of how Cassidy operates than he lets on.
Sure enough, Nate mentally pictures the safe hidden behind the laser protected picture frame. Including picturing the contents of what is inside. The room is also bugged, but the button Kyle touched on his watch has disabled both video and audio.
NATE (takes his feet off the desk and sits up straight): Why would you want to know that? You short on money?
Kyle heads over to the lasers and takes out a mirror to deflect the beams.
NATE: Hey!
KYLE (mentally keeps him in his chair): I'm going to trust you, Nate. You know about Adam and Sarah. Most likely what all they could do and suspect what I can do. Cassidy and the board members had kidnapped me and my girlfriend on our Prom date. (He pauses to take the picture down and hone his vision to see where and what security keys were pressed the most and in what order). Am I right?
NATE (sputters): I, he, they, look, I know some stuff, that's all.
Kyle gives him a glance with a raised eyebrow. He also picks up the code Nate mentally thinks on, the same one he just figured out.
NATE (through gritted teeth): A lot of stuff.
KYLE (punches in the code and opens the safe): Thought so.
He takes out several items, glances through them, then takes an envelope and by the feel of the object inside, it's the item he wants. He opens it and tilts it into his hand. Out comes Sarah's ring.
He then replaces her ring with a same-sized gaudy ring and puts it back in the safe before quickly locking and replacing everything to how it once was.
KYLE: This belongs to a friend of mine. Her mother's ring. That's all I want.
Then he puts a hand to his mouth before pressing a button on his watch.
KYLE: Thanks, Nate. I hope we can work together.
He then leaves the room as Nate looks on stupefied.
When he arrives home later that night it's to see Jessi sitting at the kitchen counter with the photo of her mother and Adam propped beside her.
KYLE (holds out his hand): Thought you might like this.
JESSI (gazes at the ring then back at him): Kyle! (She takes the ring and puts it on). How did you get it?
KYLE: Cassidy was off on an errand. Mark let me know when he left and the time he expected him back. I think we can trust one member. He was there when I opened the safe.
JESSI: Thank you!
She leans over and hugs him close. He hugs her back but she surprises him with a kiss full on the lips. Then just as quickly releases him and leans back to stroke her ring. He just puts her affection down to powerful emotions and just smiles back, happy to have given her a treasure held dear by her mother.
The next day, Kyle has the opportunity to meet with the members Foss helped him arrange and makes sure he is there with Kyle.
Cassidy's mother, Grace Kingsley, the one who had picked up the fake bullet and just let him know by her expression alone that she wants the information inside his head, speaks first.
GRACE: I'm glad you decided to join us, Kyle.
Kyle reads her thoughts.
GRACE (thinks): Once we get a hold of Adam's substitute for amniotic fluid, we can clone more of you.
With that one thought, and a brief glance at all of them, where their thoughts were all excitedly spinning through their mind, Kyle knows what they really want. Mark's three-mulch algorithm, Nate's magnets on his hover-board, are all related to rebuild chambers like the chamber he grew and developed in all his life.
KYLE: I'm not joining you.
GRACE: Wait, why are you here then?
KYLE: To know the truth.
GRACE: What truth?
KYLE: To clone me.
GRACE (mouth hangs open): What? How-
KYLE: I did my own investigation when I visited Latnok. Did you think I wouldn't discover what the projects you have those students working on what they were really about?
GRACE (snaps her mouth shut): You are our greatest achievement.
KYLE: No, I'm Adam's greatest achievement. You just want to cash in on me.
GRACE (flicks a glance over at Foss then back at him): So, you're threatening us. (Then thinks), no way will I'll let his caretaker harm us before I get what I want. He's just a kid, great abilities yes, but just a kid. And if he's anything like Adam, a passivist.
Kyle debates within himself, if he doesn't want Foss to harm these people, how will he get them, Grace in particular, to forget he has anything of value? Inwardly, he finds the answer, again strong emotion, this time born of fear for their safety, makes him discover that if he can read their thoughts, can he influence their brain patterns and not be threat to him anymore?
He concentrates on the one person who is the biggest threat, Grace.
KYLE: If I decide to join, I'd want all of you to resign. I'm sure those students would do a much better job, a more humane job of running Latnok than you have. That's my price.
ANOTHER MALE MEMBER: If we do, would you be on the board?
KYLE (focuses his thoughts on the man who spoke to influence him): Along with Jessi.
He redirects the rest of his persuasion technique on the rest of the group.
Grace blinks.
GRACE: We accept.
He gives one final tweak and all thoughts the members have of him are one of benign cooperation.
KYLE: Deal.
Happy to have him on board at all they tender their resignation.
He nods to Foss and they leave.
FOSS (once they are in his truck): What did you do?
KYLE: What I hated to do, but since I didn't want you to resort to extreme measures, let's just say I 'persuaded' them telepathically to cooperate with me. (He winces, hating for what had to be done but they left him no choice, and he wasn't going to have Foss kill again on his behalf).
He hated the fact that Foss had to kill at all. Now all he had to do was 'persuade' Cassidy.
Except that was a task he later found to be a failure. Cassidy would not and could not be persuaded.
It is late at night and Amanda is finishing up washing the sink at The Rack and just before Josh locks up, a customer walks in, along with another, a big hefty guy.
JOSH: Sorry, we're closing now.
CASSIDY: Not to worry, mate. (He nods to the guy behind him who pulls out a gun). Hands in the air, if I see them twitch toward the alarm, I'm sure you'll regret it.
Josh and Amanda put their hands in the air, both tremble in fear.
CASSIDY (pulls out his cell): I think Kyle better rethink his decision. (Talks into his cell when Kyle answers). Kyle, my man, join me at the Rack, mate, or else. No funny stuff, no back up, you know who I mean. (Then he clicks off).
CASSIDY (grins at Josh and Amanda): Now we wait.
BIG HEFTY GUY: And I get what I want.
CASSIDY: In time, mate, in time.
Kyle arrives alone, much to both Josh's and Amanda's disappointment.
CASSIDY (waves a hand at a chair while he keeps his gun pointed at Josh and Amanda, where the barrel is in direct line toward Amanda): Sit.
KYLE (concentrates on control as he sits in the chair Cassidy indicated, far enough away so he can't rush over and grab his gun): Still resorting to extreme measures?
CASSIDY: It gets results.
KYLE: What do you want?
CASSIDY: What do you think?
KYLE (sighs): The information, of course. Like Josh sometimes says, (he smiles at Josh), broken record much?
Josh gives him an "are you kidding me" look, as if know isn't the time to make light of the situation. Amanda keeps her gaze on him and Kyle knows she's trying hard not to let her panic grow so she won't pass out.
CASSIDY (frowns): Funny, (sounding like he's anything but amused), but do you really want to tick me off right now? (Thinks), he's too relaxed, he must have back up.
KYLE: I came alone like you asked, so it's just us.
CASSIDY: How did you convince my mother and the others to resign? Tell me that, mate.
BIG HEFTY GUY: Screw that, I want that information. Tell him to write it down and hand it over.
Kyle raises an eyebrow at Cassidy.
Cassidy glares at the man.
CASSIDY: Not now, you'll get it.
KYLE: He will? Maybe you should tell him it's not that simple for me to write it down.
BIG HEFTY GUY (demands): What's he mean?
CASSIDY: Because you idiot, it would take him 50 years to write it all down.
BIG HEFTY GUY (doesn't believe him): Lier! I want it now! (He points his gun at Cassidy).
CASSIDY (beneath his breath): Idiot. (Then out loud), look we take him, (nods to Kyle), with us. There is a way to get the information out of him. (Gloats at Kyle). You don't think Ballantine was the only one with a C.I.R. machine?
KYLE: No, I didn't think he was.
CASSIDY: You didn't?
KYLE: I just didn't know who had the other, but now I do.
CASSIDY (fumes and glares at him): Just come quietly.
He waves his gun toward the door and that's all Kyle needs to jerk the gun out of his hand, and the big hefty guy's gun out of his hand. The guns skitter across the floor far away from the two.
Cassidy and the big guy stare down at the guns then at him.
Kyle then tries to mentally persuade Cassidy and the big guy that they've made a mistake. Only Cassidy suddenly whips out a taser and fires it straight at Kyle. For a split second Kyle read his intention but is too late to deflect the charge of the stun gun. The charge though is magnified in greater intensity when it comes into contact with Adam's ring hanging around his neck.
KYLE (mentally yells at Josh and Amanda): Run!
They scramble from the table and run toward the back exit. One fearful glance and they can see Kyle somehow manages to block the big guy as he makes a motion to run after them. The big guy has stopped in mid-stride with palms flattened against an unseen wall.
The big guy forgets about them and turns to help Cassidy by pulling out another taser and shoots at Kyle as well. Only he keeps tasering Kyle over and over.
CASSIDY: Enough you fool! You'll kill him!
BIG HEFTY GUY: So? He's a freak!
Cassidy tasers the big guy and he falls and spasms on the floor like a fish out of water.
Kyle crumbles to the ground.
Only the big guy still has his hand wrapped around his taser and his spasm makes his thumb clamp on the button so the taser has a continuous charge. It sweeps over Kyle again. In pain, Kyle deflects it but the deflection follows the charge as the big guy's spasm swings the taser toward Cassidy. Because Kyle was trying to deflect the charge, it was double the strength. It hit Cassidy like a freight train. He flew back into a table and lies there, eyes staring blankly up. He died on impact.
Kyle stares at Cassidy in horror. He didn't want anyone to die. It's why he didn't call Foss to help him.
He passes out but not before he sees Jessi and Foss enter the Rack.
Of course, Jessi would have known where he was. She'd been monitoring him in her usually snoopy trying-to-be-helpful self. Something he is very grateful for.