Alex & Kelly

Got to Start Somewhere

The feel of the room has changed from the sound of young men laughing and enjoying the night together; to the sound of small animals running about in their cage and the smell of herb in the dimly lit room. Kelly and Alex pass the pipe a couple of more times to each other. With a woozy shake of his head Kelly cleans things up on the desk and puts the herb away. He opens the drawer of Brian's desk and lights up one of incense.

Alex waves hand in the air to try and bring the smoky, pleasant scent to him. He breathes deeply a few times. "I like the scent it reminds me of when my artsy friends and I would get together."

Kelly smiles, and nods his head remembering his days before his own surprise of; be happy your a part of this.

Alex, then shakes his head sternly, and takes a deep breath, fighting back the emotions that have been aroused in him. "Just a starving, free-minded artist in a suppressed government controlled environment one day, and made part in the very same Regime the next. I am truly the only person here allowed to speak their home language." He is still shaking his head as if in disbelief.

Kelly lifts his head and nods before waving the incense a few times. "Thankfully my move to the let's go play with Earth, was not as swift as yours. I was going to school and was obviously learning programming among other things. They came and pulled a few of us into a meeting one day. They made it sound like we would be saving our home. I sure believed it. Not so sure now, but still feel like I am working for our people. I want to save my family, my friends."

Neither speaks for a few minutes as both remember family and friends left behind. Bad memories of severe climate changes, starvation and lack of water. After a moment they both look up and stare at each other both knowing that the other was likely remembering the same sad memories of their world.

"I understand. It is our home, and people depend on us. All I can say is hang on to that thought." Alex sounds drained, and stops for a moment and rubs his eyes. His voice seems bland with no emotion, but his face can't hide his sorrow. "After today whatever enthusiasm I had for my work is gone." Suddenly he grins, "At least they gave you some time to learn the language, and some Earth culture before you came."

Kelly takes a deep breath pushing the sad memories from him as best he can. "Even so, I am still not allowed to go down. Sucks! Hey you're getting the hang of the language. Like saying, hang on." He chuckles, "Hang on to that thought."

"Not sure why I said that, it just came out that way. You are always throwing in odd words." Alex sighs and then laughs. "Your fault."

Kelly nods and with a forced smile says, "Oh, sorry man."

"No, I like it. You know MAN, no big deal. My English is okay, I guess...its the fun phrases I want to learn." Alex then stares at Kelly, and almost in a whisper asks, "Did you do any other stuff besides the zombie thing? Ah, that was great, everyone tried to logon just to see it."

Kelly leans towards Alex with a silly grin, and in a low voice says. "I was able to hack into one of Earth's military servers, and I was able to cover it up from both the our ships personnel as well as the Earther's. It was just a challenge for myself, and I was quite proud."

Alex glances at Kelly, "You are weird, must have been fun for you though."

Kelly gives a smug smile for a moment and then becomes serious. "Of course, with the good comes the bad, I did get caught hacking into a gaming software company. Silly stuff, Brian told me about playing a game when he was at some Earth girl's house. You play off of some device, which shows on their television. I was interested in an Earth location I could check out their games. After some research I found someplace I could get into that was creating a new game. So, I..." He notices Alex has a confused look on his face.

Alex blinks slowly, "Sorry my thing is art and stimulating different emotions with it."

"I can get carried away sometimes. Anyway I was taken in by my supervisor and screamed at. My punishment is now testing out programs, not fixing just testing. Warned not to hack anymore, so it could be worse. My name has been noted, but I found others have done things. Sort of hard for them to know who does what, when we all do it."

They both laugh and Kelly continues. "I actually have learned a lot from Brian and his friends. If you can get past being caught one time, and allow the punishment for the small thing. Act all contrite. Then when the big game is on you will have learned how to cover yourself. Gordon; Brian's friend...he said that they expect for people to get bored. You know they didn't pick us out for being idiots for this project." Kelly taps his head, "The more up here; well they expect us to do stuff. Act out, I guess is what you say."

"You are so lucky to interact with others. Even when they let me out to walk around the ship it was lonely. If we hadn't connected weeks ago," Alex speaks quietly. "I was tired of it, and I wanted it over, no matter how it ended. . .Then again I guess that is why I was finally allowed a friend."

Kelly, smiles at his comment and then nods his head over to the sleeping Brian. "They think they are the Twenty and Under Gang; devoted to Our Great Leader, and yet confused as to what is really going on. It's not just them and the Youth Corp. As time goes by, one by one, the rest of the younger crew are or will get tired of this. Sure we will do as we are told, but this gets more confusing, not less." He shrugs. "You know what I am saying. I should stop talking to much haze."

"Yes, I have heard there is a movement against Our Great Leader." Alex pauses, "Just a rumor I thought."

Kelly looks shocked and holds up a hand. "Wait I didn't say that Brian, or any Youth Corp member is doing that. Wow, they are way too devoted to the Regime. I just meant; wait are you a part of that? Like you would tell me if you were."

The look in Alex's eyes appears to be one of rage, his tone tense. "No! Remember what you said about the Twenty and Under crowd. I don't know, but I have this feeling. Hate that conversion work I am forced to do. I worry for your friend. Yes, I heard rumors when taking my monitored walks to the conversion chamber. Everyone treats me like I am not even there. Except when they need me to update images, and then suddenly they see me. I hate what they make me do."

"I know you do," Kelly says with compassion that is hard to miss. "I am sorry. What little I know, it has to make you want to puke...I mean vomit."

Alex frowns and sits back in his chair. The anguish in his voice, and his deflated look makes it clear how he feels. "Those images used for the broadcast, they were put together long ago in preparation for a disaster like we just had. The bandage I guess."

Kelly cocks his head apprehensively as he listens.

"I know it sounds stupid since we are here to help our people survive. We had to protect ourselves so it was used to cover who or rather what are appearance actually is. We have learned from our observations just how much humans don't like others different from themselves. Still I have feelings of guilt for what I have done for the perception of humans...ah, to see us like themselves."

Kelly shakes his head, "Sorry don't understand your gilt."

"I guess...I don't know how to say it." Alex, sighs. "Worse there is the other side. My pleasure of seeing my work appearing, or seemingly so genuine combined with the other setup pieces. I take pride in something that is also well, repulsive if given thought."

They both stare up at the ceiling for several minutes not saying a thing. Then they look over and watch Brian who has not opened his eyes in some time. They both get up and stare down at the sleeping Youth Leader. Kelly smiles and says, "I think we just lost him. Nighty night Brian." There is a folded blanket on the bed so he unfolds it, and covers Brian with the blanket. After that they sit down again saying nothing for some time as they think about the evening they have had.

Alex laughs, "He smoked more than I thought he would." After a moment his voice takes on a somber tone. "So, I know you trust him. Why?"

Kelly shrugs, "I don't know. You know he really is kind of a shit. Oh, that is an Earth expression. Its fecal, but the expression means not being nice. Anyway half of him is a shit. The other half is a great guy who would likely give you everything he has. He can be confusing."

Alex shakes his head. "No, offense that does not say why you trust him."

"In the beginning he ignored me completely," Kelly says quietly. "Then one day, I got into his herb. More like a few times."

"No, you didn't," Alex says with a surprised look.

Kelly, nods his head slowly and smirks, "Yeah, he smuggled it onto the ship from home, it was a big deal to him. It was home grown, literally home grown. You know the zombie thing happened after that." Kelly shrugs, "It may seem weird, but learning about the Youth Leaders I am finding they don't trust others very easily. The Whipelli especially since they had to endure having their mountains taken. I guess that was sixty or sixty-five years ago. Then so many of their people dying for years from the poisonous gas used on one of their mountains to force them to capitulate. Than have that same poison spread to the rest of the mountains. Guess it's a good thing they built up a resistance to the toxicant."

Alex frowns. "I wasn't looking for a history lesson. Again why do you trust him? It is important to me."

Kelly shrugs, "Okay, you know he had the chance to make my life heinous more than once, but he hasn't. It is going to seem weird, but if he puts you into his little world; and he protects you. He may still want to use you, but he will protect you." He sighs, "Wish I could make you understand. Besides his world, and mine do not really relate."

"Do you actually care about him, and the other Youth Leaders?"

At first Kelly seems surprised, but his stare is very close to a glare. "What do you think?"

Alex looks away from Kelly for a moment and frowns. "Can you sneak me back to my room? You know manipulate my monitoring devices. Do you mind doing it now?" He points at the sleeping Brian, "I don't want him to wake up, and hear me."

"Sure, but I am not sure why you're worried about him waking now. Hummm, let's go." Kelly's fingers fly over the keyboard.

"Do you think you are in control enough to also turn off my computers monitoring and other devices?"

"Yeah, but I am not going to turn off. Just manipulate so they don't know, we know." Kelly looks over at the sleeping Brian, "Okay let's go."

They get up, and with a bit of a slow start in getting their feet moving they leave the room smiling. The young men walk slowly and carefully to Alex's room. Mostly their pace is due to having smoked too much intoxicating herb. When they reach their destination the first thing Kelly does is walk to Alex's computer and he finishes modifying the monitoring device. He had already hacked into the other devices in the room to give false images of Alex sleeping. This was not the first time he had done the Alex is sleeping image, but that was to make it seem like he was in his room when he was not. Now he was doing it to hide that he was in the room. Thankfully, Kelly knew his room was not monitored however, Alex's room was another matter.

Alex points over to a small sofa, where they take their time making themselves comfortable.

"Okay, so why are we here again?" Kelly asks with a slight grimace. He is nervous because Alex wanted to share more than he may be comfortable with, and speak in a room of someone the ships personnel would and could monitor.

"I never wanted to come here." Alex's eyes travel about the room. "They took me and forced me to do this horrible stuff. It's like they can't bear to have me out of this room. Of course, if they treated me like a prisoner they would not get what they wanted from me. That's why when they started letting me work with some of the programmers, you being one of them I was so excited. I go and do things with the others, but I feel like they are just doing their job. With you it is different."

"Hey, thanks. By the way you have a really nice room. A sofa and shelves, must be nice." Kelly hesitates for a moment before speaking. "Again I like being friends with you as well. Miss home so much and friends make it easier."

Alex smiles pleasantly, "Tonight sir, I met the zombie master. That is great. I never really had as you know, real personal contact with others since my training was begun even months before we came here." He loses his smile, "It's hard to see those that I have been part of playing with their minds; like the Youth Corp."

"Hey, the bonding thing, that is nothing." Kelly shrugs, "Brian and his pal Gordon and I have talked about this. They know it is for devotion and unity."

Alex looks down to the floor for several moments. "I feel bad." Then his head turns as he looks around the room. "Are you sure we are not being monitored."

Kelly brushes his hair nervously, "Yeah, but why do you feel bad?"

"Do you really trust him?" Alex is shaking his head, and his eyes have a painful look to them. "I can't just keep this to myself. My guts feel like someone is twisting them over and over. I have to talk to someone. I say this as something may be coming down that. . ."

Kelly has a feeling that now would be a good time to run, and run out of here now. He lifts an eyebrow and speaks sharply, "Yes, I trust him. Just spit it out!"

Alex looks away suddenly and begins speaking to the wall before he turns his back to Alex. "Something is coming, something bad. I have been asked to provide images to a much harsher bonding script. It feels like conversion, but not."

Kelly's voice has a low gravely sound as he responds. "We all know about conversion, but let's face it none of us really know what it is. I spoke to Brian, and he went on talking like he knew. Let's just say he did not, he was just saying what someone or others have told him. He will do that, talk like he knows stuff when he doesn't."

"My job is just taking the script," Alex says as he glances about the room nervously. "I am to fit images to the specs."

"Yes, I guess I did not think about it." Kelly winces and his tone is almost a whisper. He really had tried to not think about what Alex did. Brian did not think the bonding was a big deal. Brian's people did some weird bonding gathering thing in the summer so to him it was just part of life. His head dips as he thinks about the conversion though, that was something different. Rumors ran amok to the horror of conversion, but the Youth Corp bonding was just thought of as acceptable.

"Understand, my work with conversion is very limited anyway." Alex shrugs, and grimaces a bit. "When we first came here, I think that they were going to run scripts through, and be done with it. However, human perception is different than ours. Hard to explain. Kind of like when our people go out in the Earth sun they must wear dark glasses. We see a lot more colors than humans, and combined with the harsh light it makes for a very uncomfortable sight. Conversion was not developed for humans, it was created to control our people. The stimulation on the brain, combined with images and sounds and underlying voices enforcing what needs to be done. Our people accept this process easily. Not all humans. This doesn't mean humans are more complex. Just the difference in the way our brains are rigged. The concept took years to work on our people. No one thought that it would not have the same influence on the human brain, but it didn't. Making it harder, some humans it works easily on, others not at all. Some it tweaks something, and they actually die. I am not a conversion expert, or a doctor. Just an artist who has a feel for how people react to images."

Kelly's stomach lurches. Alex is taking far too long to say what he needs to say. Then reality dawns on him, there is no more haze. He bites his lip, and burst out. "They are not going to do conversion on Brian and his friends?"

Alex looks Kelly in the eye. "I believe so, and I don't know why."

"They believe what is being done to them is for the good of the people." Kelly can hear his heart beating as if he had ran a race. He can't seem to keep his eyes from darting around the room. "They will go willingly."

Alex folds his hands in front of him and then looks down at them as he speaks. "They have no choice. If this is done they will lose any free will they have currently to question authority. I guess they will be like drones, and they will not question this. No, not drones, but their devotion and obedience will be completely to the Regime. Our superior officers will have total control of them, but they will still be able to lead, formulate and command. Hard to explain."

Kelly can only shake his head. "It is hard to understand. They will still be themselves, but not themselves when it comes to their devotion to the Regime. Is this sort of what is happening? And this devotion can dissolve with time, but only if bonding is not continued after?" He shakes his head, "This is not possible. This is like an upside down conversion...ah, how can that happen. Someone as stubborn as Brian...I mean I do not see that happening. Its not bonding where they have some wacky unification to each other. Bonding is just sort of; lets be brothers and sisters and love Our Great Leader."

Alex takes a hand and rubs forehead, "I heard something about they are still young enough to have their minds accessible to this; total devotion manipulation thing." He shrugs, and frowns deeply. "Remember what I have heard is only in bits, I can only say someone is really getting nervous about something with the Youth Corp, and especially its Youth Leaders."

Kelly looks at Alex. If this works, who will be next? If he were Brian what would he do? He sits back, "Sounds like conversion."

"No, hard to explain, it will still be in their bonding program. They will be more unified, and even more devoted to the Regime. If I understand correctly it could take several months to unravel, and if they keep up the bonding as they have been doing every forty days. Well, it may be that way always." Alex turns his head in discomfort as Kelly stares at him. "It is going to happen, Kelly. Why I don't know why, but it will. I can't stop it. Your friend, he may not be your friend after this. Again it is not conversion it is still bonding, but it borders on conversion."

"You showed us the images for the broadcast that was shown to humans and our people. Why would you do that if you knew this was to happen?"

Alex speaks rapidly the words one after the other in quick procession. "I could not help myself, I felt I had to show you. It is not right. The Youth Corp has been devoted, they have done everything asked of them. Now to intensify this...in a way it will be slavery of the mind." Finally he pauses, and slows his speech. "Who is next if this works?"

Kelly sits back. What would Brian do? He has watched the guy doing things, and how he came up with his plans. First, what is happening? What will happen if it is allowed to happen? What details are known? Who are those that could fix this situation? Then devise a plan. That is what Brian would do.

Alex shifts uncomfortably. "I am sorry. If there was anything I could do, I would."

"Would you? I mean would you try to do something?" Kelly then stands, and begins pacing.

Alex mouths the word, 'Yes.'

Kelly continues pacing. Finally he says, "So something bad is happening that is worrying the superior officers on the loyalty of the Youth Leaders."

Alex nods slowly, "Yes, only I do not know what. I would say that whatever it is they are afraid of some issue. Violence maybe."

"So the superiors want to ensure that the Youth Leaders who are already known to be a unified group do not turn on the ships officers." Kelly has gone back to pacing.

"Yes, I would say so," Alex says as he stares pensively at Kelly. His face is twisting in such a way you can see the outline of his larger mouth, which the prosthetic skin is covering to create the appearance of a more human mouth.

"You have the script, or will have?" Kelly's voice seems almost sad as he struggles to do his in his best impersonation of a Youth Leader voice; commanding yet disarming and kind.

Alex's voice tightens as he answers, "Yes, I will place the appropriate images as I see them. Then it goes into the program, and since it is being used as a bonding rather than a conversion it will not be modified for each individual. Everyone will receive the same new altered bonding program. The more aggressive one."

"Program," Kelly walks over to Alex and puts his hand on his shoulder. "Are you alone when you place the visuals? Are the modifications to the program already done before the placing of the visuals?"

"Yes, alone. Yes, modifications are already done. I have a script, and I prepare the visuals as I feel appropriate for the emotion needed. I need to name the visual as required by them. They test immediately in case I need to make changes...but you know I am being monitored, and if you turn it off they will see. I also, have no idea what the programs are, or the names the visuals need to have, or anything."

Kelly begins speaking quickly, "I have a plan. I will need the port you are on when you do this. Next I will logon and monitor you as you rename your visuals. I can do it I believe...Yes, I can do it undetected by them."

"What are you talking about? What is a port number, and how do I find that. Will I even have permission to find it?"

The conversation seems almost odd and dreamlike to Kelly. This is like the universe said this is it; you are going to do something more. Something that could very well be important. He finds he is literally using Brian's weird smirk, and he chuckles. "I will show you it's easy to find the port. Trust me you have permission. I will monitor the renaming of your visuals, but I will not modify the program until after testing. How long does it normally take?"

Alex hesitates, "What modifications are you talking about. This is not just about visuals."

"It will be okay. We will keep things as they are, but then I will put a key word in like a hypnotist to remind them who they are. You are so good at what you do. You will know the appropriate visual to use. We'll figure a way for you to indicate it to me. Somehow we get it into their normal bonding and wake them up from their...ah, English word...ah, brainwashing." Kelly's eyes become bright, "Better yet just a keyword...forget about the visual. I bet they have keywords in the program just in case anyway. We'll figure it out."

First Alex looks at his hands and then glances quickly to Kelly for a moment, and then back to hands. "I guess. I mean you are the zombie master, but this is intense and I feel totally lost."

"Do you want to be part of change or not? If you do it means sacrifice."

Alex smiles and shakes his head agreeing to their project. "We are becoming part of the secret Twenty and Under group and we aren't even in the Youth Corp. Sure why not. If we make a mistake its just our lives, or the Youth Leaders lives." He shrugs as if not important, and then laughs. "Or most likely both, and we are the only two to know or go forward."

Kelly frowns and then smiles, "I think we both need to know we have done something more than bend our knee to the Regime. Time to be us, even if it just for a day. Yes, your right its just the two of us making this decision...ah, life altering for over a thousand Youth Leaders, and a few thousand Youth Corp members on all of the ships. But hey, it is just a little modification...Right. Us, playing with a few thousand lives." Kelly winces just with the thought of the many lives they were talking about.

Alex says nothing, but nod his head in agreement.

"Yeah, scary. If it works we help them, and if it doesn't well the Regime will have them anyway. But it must end, time to make a difference. Okay, we have a lot of work tonight. So if you want to bail let me know right away. Otherwise, this is it."

Alex again says nothing, but gives a small smile.

"Okay, and lets agree we never do something like this again on our own...hum, maybe never tell anyone even if it works also. Okay?"

"Trust me Kelly if this works, or not; my lips are sealed. Still can't believe we are doing this. No, offense but, neither us are leaders; and if I know you as I think, we don't want to be leaders. So okay, Crazy Zombie master what's the plan?"

"This is what we will do, I will have sent you a message earlier asking if you want to come down to my room and eat mice, or do something with me. When you get to the place where we need to put in our keyword you will call, and say you are working, and can't do it. Reading the port I will get the program and find the script it is going to call. I will decrypt the program and insert just that one keyword to match the image you believe it works best at. Then you send a task, and say you are done. I will finish what I need to do. We work out that keyword, we don't want it to be too obvious so the powers that be figure it out. It has to be something that after a few weeks it turns off whatever was done to them."

"Okay I think I understand. We can actually do the keyword now. Why not just initiate the image or keyword immediately; like in a few days? You know not allow for damage."

Kelly smiles and nods his head. "No, the superiors they expect devotion, and if they don't get it, or it seems off; well then it could be bad. They will of course suspect a failing in the program, and that will eventually point to us. Besides Brian, George and Gordon; once the keyword is initiated. Well, let's just say they have since children learned how to cover things, to protect themselves. Our Regime has not just made them, it has made us as well. The ones in power got what they wanted, they just don't really understand what they created. I think not just, Youth Corp, but you and I, and many of the younger staff. How, do I say this...we have been manipulated to serve. However, for whatever reason we are changing or not embracing everything rammed down our throats by the Regime."

First Alex smiles, "We are taking our own path." Suddenly a look of fear suddenly appears on his face. "What about those that will remain faithful to the Regime. You have seen Brian and his friends, you have watched other younger staff. However, you know there are those that will embrace everything the Regime has, as you said rammed down their throats. Also, what happens next?"

"Hey, we just do our part. Knowing Brian, if it is as bad as you think; he sure won't be happy once it dawns on him what happened to him. He and the rest of his pals will figure it out as well...once they are given a window of opportunity to see it. Trust me Youth Leaders are not the most trusting individuals. He and his pals will figure it out and know which individuals to be wary of. Truth is after that they are going to have to be the ones who will have to take the reins, of ah...leadership. They will know how to use what was initially done to them against those who did it. Like I said, having Brian for a roommate has been as the humans say, a real eye opener." Kelly shrugs, "If nothing changes at least we can say we tried."

Alex grins, "Not the way I thought I would seek out adventure. Still afraid of being tortured and killed, but time to do the right thing. If I die I get to have done one thing that I don't feel guilty for."

Kelly chuckles, "Hey I have no idea what if any long range plan is. If all we do is short circuit the bonding slash conversion; well that is fine if that is all it is. Time to do something."

"Ah, what about resistance if there is any, or if there is if we are approached?"

Kelly wags a finger as a warning, "Do nothing, or act interested if approached. Beginning to understand why Brian, and his buddies trust no one. We just have to have them expand that to outside Youth Corp. We need to include all twenty and under some how. We can't trust the Regime anymore."

Alex looks away for a moment before turning back. "I am afraid. I am sorry, but I am. Still something inside me I can't explain. I am willing to put my life on the line," He then laughs. "I don't even know what happens after. This very well could be the last days of my life, and I don't even know if it means anything to anyone, but me."

"You ever think Alex that there is always an instigator. Maybe what we are is the catalyst to something else. Doesn't mean we know what it is, no we just light the fire. An artist, and a not so great programmer."

"Let's get started and decide what to do; it's getting late, Zombie Master." Alex says with a wide smile.