Friday, 16th May, 2104
"Goodness! I've never seen the polls packed like this before!"
"Apart from the history classes, Emmy?"
"Well, yes, but not in person. Everyone's… Keen, I suppose."
"Huh," I partially unzip my hoodie again, "It's not that dramatic as I expected since… I'm just surprised everyone's this civil about it."
"Maybe that's all the drama for it? Just everyone showing up to vote?" Laurie pulls out a small holo and starts fiddling on it, "That, or it's a vocal minority. Doesn't stop the Legion from showing up…"
"Sorry Laur?"
"Nothing! Nothing… Sooooo, who are you guys voting for?"
"Ohh right!" I realise, "Dammit, who were the candidates again?"
"Cora, language!"
"Sorry Em."
"Well," Laur pulls up another holo, doing some searches before sizing it up before us, "There's… Labour and the Tories, obviously. But you also have UKIP, Liberals, the Social Democrats…"
"Just as long as we don't vote Reds," I reason, "Got it. Doubt any of the parties would want connections to them."
"Even if your uncle wasn't involved as the face," a familiar voice comes from behind, "There's no way any of the parties would take on the Reds."
"Mum?"
"Mum!"
"Mrs Gold!"
Her warm blonde hair bounces a little as she hugs us, held back by a lilac hairband with its signature one knot. Her blue eyes are still young as ever, the soft wrinkles and flecks of silver grey in her hair be damned. Laurie especially lingers in her arms before she lets go.
"How have you three been? Is everything okay at your place? I haven't seen you since January and heard from you since Easter for godsakes! Oh, and I've bumped into some friends of ours, they should be here too."
"Life's been great, mum! It's actually kinda awesome to have our own domestic life!"
Really hoping I don't slip about the guys…
"Is that so?" She grins while cocking an eyebrow, "Nothing… Strange, happening at your place? Last I heard from Jaxx and the twins from the renovation, they did mention some weird stuff going on."
"Well…" Laur starts to twist her hair in one finger, looking away, "there is this one thing…"
Laurie, you-!
"Hey," Em jumps in, "didn't you say you bumped into some friends or something?"
"Oh yeah! Your parents are here too, Em!"
Oh god.
"Lauren?" A British-Indian voice calls out, a little too harshly, "Lauren, your husband is getting water, where are— oh! Emily!"
"Emily, honey!" Amanaki Brock strides graciously, pulling her daughter in a hug, "I'm so glad you're here to vote!"
Em hugs her mum back, but I know her blood is going cold at the sight of her dad.
Ever since I'd started working for the delivery service, Em's (gratefully) stuck by my side. But it came with the cost of her dad acting… Off.
He always acted polite in front of me for the most part, but Em and I remember how she was more than keen to spill the truth in our sleepovers.
I mean, with what happened these past few months,then Good Friday and THEN Em telling her parents everything on Easter Sunday… I don't think I can blame him.
Almost.
He's nearly stalking over to us, arms open for a hug. I once thought Johannes was one of the friendliest neighbours in the world when I was little, but the sight of his navy-green button-up and primed moustache almost makes me sick. I don't blame Em for not hugging him back.
"Joe," I feel mum's hand squeezing mine behind my back, "Let her go."
"She's not," 'Naki cuts off her husband's retort, "obligated to reciprocate."
He lets Em go immediately, if not more than a little disappointed. I share a glance with her before she turns to talk with her mum. I can barely make out what they're saying, but Joe clicks his mouth.
"So…" Johannes swallows, trying to keep a smile on, "What… No, how have you been since I last saw you on Good Friday?"
"Better," I keep myself from wanting to throttle him, "I'm glad that… That Laur, Em and I did what needed to solve the emergency we had at home."
"Right. The emergency. I'm glad you and the Lord were right about it, but…"
I feel mum's hand squeeze mine again.
"Cora, hon. What emergency?"
"A big one, mum," I shake my head, "a matter of life and death, even. And if you'll excuse me, we can just move on from it now."
Mum's hand squeezes mine tighter. Joe's head shake says sympathy, but his eyes say disdain.
Shut up, I glare back.
Wait, maybe there's a chance to smooth it out-
"Lauren! Lauren? Honey, where are you?
Uh oh.
I know that voice.
"Oh! There you are, I didn't expect to see you three here either!"
My heart starts to sink.
"Well, it is our first time we have to vote, dad."
"You look fresh, Mr Gold." Em shoves light restraint from her voice to her eyes after talking to her mum, "Any reason why you shaved?"
"It's, erm… For a meeting concerning your place after this, that's all. Just sorting out some real estate things on your behalf."
"Dad, what d'you mean real estate stuff? What's going on?"
"Look, look- If you're worried about me taking the house, I'm not and I will not ever. I promise. It's just been some legal stuff from last Christmas. Remember? Old great-great-granddad's will? It looked like you were standardly busy at home, Cor, so I hope you don't mind me stepping in.
Okay… Despite my blood curdling inside, this is the most open I've seen him in a while…
"I'm just… I'm just making sure it's permanently going to stay there and nobody's gonna mess with it. Like the will said. I… I should've told you earlier. I'm sorry."
"…Thanks for letting me know…"
"Not an issue. Say, is Laurie with you?"
"Hey… Dad…"
I already feel Laurie inching slowly from behind her holos (and me) and I don't blame her. Though dad does look like Edd in a lot of ways, he's intimidating to most people - especially when he's angry. Emily, Laurie and I have been on the receiving end of dad's anger a few times, but it left us with less room to trust him than we'd like.
Don't get me wrong, he loves us in the ways he can and I (try to) love him back, but with Laurie trying to hide behind me…
I'm almost ten years old again, letting my shaking and shivering baby sister into my bed on a warm summer's night. Didn't matter if he was in his private, off-limits parts of the office or not; by the time she crawled into my bed, she wouldn't say a peep of what she saw. (Even having Emily in a sleepover be damned, Laurie would still crawl in.)
The only successes, she'd say, would be that she once changed one of his computer passwords to access some kind of remote control panel, and that she'd never once been spotted. She'd only quit her snooping when she opened a package for an infrared camera from dad's mail.
Occasionally, I'd wonder what she'd seen in dad's office and how much of it she remembered through the years. If it still kept her up at night.
Though after Good Friday…
"Life's been busy with you on break, Cor - well, busier now that you've had this whole April off." His smile is kinder than I've usually seen it - what is going on?
"Had something rough go down and we all needed a break to look after ourselves," I try to cover, noticing Emily's worried look from near her mum and Laurie's frantic holo-typing.
"Oh yeah, I heard something about it from mum, and I'm glad you've had a break. But are you sure you're all okay?" There's (strangely) genuine concern in his voice, "Getting rest? Drinking enough water-"
"Eddie!" Mum stops him, "It could just be voting nerves! Especially with such a political climate!"
"I know love, I know," he sighs, "But their place was fixed up for a reason."
"And what would that be?"
"…Dad, did you just talk to yourself?"
"No, Cora…?"
"Then who…?"
"Sorry to interrupt, but… Oh, you're their parents… Right?"
Oh, no.
It's always weird when I'm around family members that I never knew existed, claiming to have last seen me as a baby, but this…
God, this is worse.
The drop my heart makes from chest to stomach feels too physical and I'm dying inside (if not already dead). Both my parents look bewildered at the sight of Edd, Tom, Matt AND Tord standing with us. By the look in their faces, do my parents... Recognise them?
"Did… Did we come in at the wrong time?"
"N-no, Edd," Laurie swallows, "I was texting to say that you should be prepared to see my parents… And Em's…"
Laurie, what did you do?!
We share a glance, guilt on her face as I fight the instinct to glare.
"I didn't know they'd be here either, Edd," I try to patch up the conversation, "We were just waiting in line when mum spotted us first."
Keeping an eye on my dad, I notice his hands tighten into fists at the name.
Yeah, we know what you did.
"So…" Tom unfolds his arms, striding to mum, "You're Cora and Laurie's mum? I mean, you certainly look like it."
"E-erm. Yeah. Yeah! I'm Lauren," she lets go of my hand and shakes his gratefully, catching him by surprise, "And you must be one of Cora's housemates?"
"Err yeah," Tom nods, "She, uh, helped us move in around about the start of February."
It's barely moments till the four of them start to mingle around: Mum - to her relief - starts chatting with Tom about Laurie and school, Matt's having a delighted conversation with 'Naki about recipes and cooking, and even Edd of all people is talking with Em's dad.
Rather, through all the cross-chatter of everyone going on, I think he's scolding Johannes.
"Do you really think what you just told me is the way to treat your daughter?" I can faintly make out, spotting one fist starting to clench, "I disagree. Mr Brock, you just remind me of an old neighbour who had the same awful attitude."
"How funny would it be," I whisper to Em, "if your dad's descended from that neighbour."
"Oh shush, Corrie." She rolls her eyes, cracking a smile she needed, "Don't be silly. Though… I might take a look at it with Laurie and prove you wrong later."
"Don't get cocky, Emmy."
"Take a look at what, guys?" She looks up from a newer holo - by the looks of it, it's an active forum page or stream of Legion. I don't blame her for not listening.
"Later Laur," I wave it off.
Jamming my hands into my hoodie pockets as my heart rises a little, I watch Matt drift into a conversation between both 'Naki and Johannes, letting Edd slip by to talk with mum and Tom.
But glancing over again, my heart skips a beat into the Marianas trench.
Dad and Tord are (miraculously) having a fluent conversation in Norwegian; but from what little I can understand, the English that's thrown in ('cryostasis', 'time', 'familiar') and how heated it's getting…
Does Tord know the full truth?
Mum and I share a look, and Edd catches on, nodding back to me when he spots it.
"Well, I know where most of Laurie's looks and brains come from now!" Edd hops in, offering a handshake to mum, "Lauren, was it?"
"Oh yes! It is," Mum takes the offer, delighted, "I'm not one for the last-name basis, really. And this is my husband, Eddie."
"Oh, erm, nice to meet you, Edd." Dad heaves a sigh of relief, free from Tord's interrogation (but not from his death glare).
Edd and dad shake on it next, but my breath hitches as the shake slows, stops and they let go.
Dad's shoulders freeze, his jaw tightening as his breathing slows.
He's scared?
"I… I know you," Edd says slowly, "That voice, the outfit, the hair… The only different thing separating you and someone I knew is that you don't have a stubbly beard."
I spot Tord's eyes narrowing at Dad again, as if dwelling on Edd's words.
"Oh, well, I just shaved this morning- I mean, was that someone a nice person?"
Edd's fists clench.
"No… No he wasn't."
Laurie drags me away and points to the shortened queue, with Emily already having caught up.
"Okay. But you and the others are going back in the van. And don't talk about this until I'm in there too."
"What?"
"You're underage to get in here and all their death certificates are at risk, go!"
She nods, managing to somehow get Edd and the others away while I take my parents ahead to where Emily is. (Her own parents catch up after waving off to Matt.)
Em's fingers entwine around my hand and we grip each other tight.
"Corrie. We're going to vote, then leave."
Easier said than done, Emmy.
For a start, I can notice even from here that people are struggling with their electronic voting booths. Then, there's the guards at every booth that don't even look remotely like the police. Worse yet, I can't ignore both our parents' whispering behind me, no matter what I try to focus on.
"Joe, I know you're terrified for Emily but she's making her choices here."
"Of course, it's bloody election-"
"Language."
"It's Election Day, 'Naki. Of course I'm terrified for her! And all those other things too! Why can't I be her father and rescue her?!"
"You're not her rescuer, Joe. When will you understand?"
"Eddie, it's happening. They know. He knows."
"Are we sure, Lauren? I knew that the day was coming soon, but… I still can't believe we're not the ones in the girls' place. M-maybe they're also still mentally thawing out?"
"Yes, but they could've been out of the ice for long enough. Edd knows what you did the first time."
The first time?
I try focusing on something else again, this time on the guards' uniforms. Red outfits with gold trim and-
Phoenix emblems?!
With a free hand on my phone, I text Laurie:
Me: :Fire: :Bird: :Alarm:
"Miss, no texting in the building."
"Sorry, first time voting," I gulp, "Say, are there any non-digital voting booths?"
"No miss, that practice ended with the previous election. Only available for members of parliament."
Dammit!
"Next please!"
With a quick secret handshake from Emily for good luck, I step towards the empty booth.
Setting in some details then scrolling through the candidates, I set my picks for Prime Minister; sneaking several glares at the guard next to me while I'm at it.
All of them are correct except the Red Party is insistent on staying at my number one spot, no matter what I do to move it to the bottom.
"Thirty seconds left, miss!"
I really thought McCoy was better than pulling this crap.
I'm still trying to re-pick my candidates when the screen flickers red, then… Light blue?
Oh.
I forgot Laur could remotely do that, Internet of Things and all. She did bail me out of detention one time with that method, and now that she's got Legion's involvement…
Submitting my candidates in digital stone, I'm about to leave the booth when-
Boop.
A flash of gold.
IN THE CASE YOU'VE MADE YOUR TRUE VOTE:
Oh thank god, you got through. How isn't the matter. What matters is the obvious state of these machines, but believe this when I say this was NOT my order. No matter what the guards or anybody else say.
Tell the truth. Tell the Legion. Tell the world. Word HAS to get out.
I was a horrid bastard before, but I know better now. I'm staying in my ashes, working in the shadows to atone. I hope I won't be late when it's time to rise again.
And if this message reaches to who I hope it will:
I'M SORRY.
I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for chasing after you. For questioning you at Charing Cross. I understand now.
I didn't authorise or create the virus from Good Friday.
I understand if you don't forgive me. But I'm going to do right by you from now on.
-S.
The screen flashes gold again, back to normal. Glancing to where Em is, hers does too. We share a look.
The guards haven't noticed.
We run out of the room.
I hate waiting outside, but it's thankfully not long till our parents reach us too. It's taking a lot of effort not to comment on their fuming silence and peeved looks, particularly from dad. Though… I don't blame any of them.
"I can't take what Phoenix is doing," Mum seethes, "It's just a cheap, dirty cheat trick of… Whatever this is! I can't believe they would stoop that low!"
"I can't believe," Dad goes on for her, "That we trusted them at one point!"
Wait.
This has to be what lead to the events of Good-
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
SHRIEEEEEEEEEEEK!
"ALL MEMBERS OF LEGION IN THIS CROWD, PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!"
Crap, Laurie and her friends couldn't cover their tracks in time.
"We need to go!"
The six of us make a break for the van, struggling against the cacophony of the sirens and screams of a public that's now going nuts.
I'm gripping Em's hand tight, but it's snatched away when-
"Argh! Dad, no! Let me go!"
"You're not going back to that madhouse Emily!"
Em squirms and twists herself from her dad's grasp as I shove and push my way through to her.
"When was this any of your business?!"
"When you told me and your mother on Good Friday, so now we're going home!"
"It is NOT!" Em manages to wrench herself out her dad's grasp, split further by swarms of people spewing out from the voting centre, "Home is where the Lord has called me to, not you! And I'm going back to where I must be!"
Emily?!
I'm almost knocked down by the insanity around me when 'Naki grabs my wrist and yanks me up.
"I understand my husband," I can make out above the noise, "But I don't agree with him. If God's called my girl to your place, then to you she'll go."
I manage to nod as the screaming and stampeding swathes of people drift us back to where Em is. She looks up at her mum, but 'Naki hugs her. Em hesitates before returning it.
It looks tight, but she lets go when Em does, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You know what's gotta be done," 'Naki looks back to me, "both of you."
Em nods and grabs my hand, letting some of the crowds lead us towards the delivery van we came in. We're almost trampled when some sections charge towards the Phoenix guards, but we make it.
My parents are waiting outside - funny how it's familiar in this chaos - and are near-ready to jump in the back. But hopping in the driver's seat while Em takes the passenger, I remember:
"Dad, don't you and mum have your own ride?"
"D'augh! I forgot!"
"Then go!"
"Cora, before I do, I want to say that I'm sorry."
Excuse me?
"Why would you need to-"
"Please, all we've done so far was to help us be prepared for what's about to happen next," Mum steps in, squeezing my hand again, "but at the last minute, we let you take our place."
"Mum and I have done all we can," dad nods, glancing at mum, "and if it wasn't for her we'd all be dead."
"Dad, what are you talking about?!"
"Eddie, we need to go!"
A genuine pained look from dad shoots chills down my spine.
"I love you, Cora Arne. I'm sorry for everything."
"Dad?"
He kisses two fingers and places them on my cheek, then taking mum's hand and running with her into the chaos. A second of forever ticks past.
"Cora?" I hear my sister peeking over my chair from the back with the rest of our ancestors, "Why did dad say that?"
"I don't know, Laurel Dai," I shut the door, start the engine and pull out of the parking spot, "But I'm sure we're bound to find out at some point and it's not going to be fun."
We eventually land outside the house, but nobody leaves the van.
The silence is thick, boiling and unbearable.
Even Em's gaze is steel. Warm, but steel.
You know what has to be done.
"Cora…" Edd speaks up, "About your dad. I wasn't joking when I said I knew him. He's too familiar."
"I'm with Edd on this." I know Tord's nodding with him. "I can't figure out how though."
"I guess..." I gulp.
"Cora, is there something you don't want to talk about?"
Now's not the right time… Is it?
"…Did Laurie mention something about our family to you while me and Em were gone?"
"Well… Yeah." Tom points it out, "She mentioned that it was a big deal to you, and us too. Just that you weren't ready to talk about it yet and the waiting game frustrated her."
"She was about to tell us," Matt shrugs, "Didn't get to hear any of it since that alarm kicked in. And now I really want to know."
From the rear-view mirror, Laur's glare is Richwells-and-Lawson sharp.
I'm still not ready.
"When?" I manage, resisting the urge to throw up.
"Maybe…" Edd ponders, "Today?"
This feels like Hell.
I'm still not ready.
"A-are you serious?"
"It doesn't have to be with everyone," he reassures me, then somewhat-jokingly adds, "If you want me to be the first sole keeper of this secret, I'd be happy to."
There's annoyed bickering from everyone else in the back afterwards.
I'm definitely in Hell.
I know what has to be done.
I'm still not ready.
Sharp breath in through my teeth.
"This house we've been living in? It's Twenty-Seven Dirdum Lane."
It's like lightning is shot in the air. Eyes widen in the back. Silence falls.
"I was the next of kin to receive it since my older siblings were unavailable. That, and my shared heritages make my other Gold cousins ineligible now. I'm your great-great-granddaughter."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Good LORD have MERCY university has been kicking me hard in several places. Only several weeks left till I finish everything I've got for these film projects and graduate in December...
Speaking of, I'm thinking of pushing the next chapter release down to about Christmas time to give me a chance to write it out once I'm finished with uni. Thank you all so much again for being patient with me as I finish uni, I promise I will get this story completed.
