Young Offender, Part 14:
"This is all I have. Take it or leave it," the blond, Australian, cargo-ship captain said, jerking his head towards the wide open space. The room was totally empty, no windows, but it did have a small bathroom off to the side. "Also, no walking around on deck during the day and such. I'm no fool. A fist full cash and no papers tells me the four of you could be trouble."
"You shouldn't see us much, Captain Cliff. We like to keep to ourselves," Albert assured the man. "So we're leaving soon?"
"A few hours. Good?" Albert nodded at Cliff's question. "I'll be back after we've set sail. Storage is in the next compartment. You can find some roll-away beds and blankets there." Captain Cliff turned and left up the small, metallic stairway. Albert and Jet went to the storage area and came out with beds, blankets, and some pillows. All Francoise found herself doing was staring at them.
She followed them into the large cabin and looked around. Even on the Japanese fishing boat, she'd had some privacy in a tiny, separate side-room from the male cyborgs. Here, there was none. She suddenly felt awkward. Heat rose to her face as she watched Jet and Albert struggle to get one of the beds unfurled.
It sprang open, sending Albert sprawling on his back-side; Jet doubled over in laughter. Albert, for the first time she had known him, started laughing, too. This made Jet laugh even harder; even Ivan paused from moving a crate through the air to snicker.
"Stop it!" Francoise snapped. The three males paused abruptly and looked at her, all baffled. Even Ivan looked lost. "This is no joke! Here we are, stuck again, months at a time."
They stared at her. There was something she needed and wanted to say, but it was so awkward, and she couldn't even straighten out her own thoughts. "Aww, come on, Frannie, don't come down on us. We were fine a few minutes ago. What's wrong, now?"
She took a few deep breaths and wouldn't meet their eyes. "I don't know, exactly. I think... maybe..." She struggled for the most delicate way to phrase her concern. "I'm actually a very modest girl. Jean-Paul raised me to be mindful of certain situations with men. I just don't know how else to say it."
Jet and Ivan's bafflement remained, but Albert, no doubt from having been married before, deciphered Francoise's meaning. She was relieved to see he had the good sense to get a chagrined expression. "Sorry, Mademoiselle Arnoul. I guess, sometimes, because of the situation we're in, I forget that girls need their space. Jet, grab that big blanket."
They sectioned off a corner of the room. She was amazed Jet didn't make a wise crack. She was so happy he didn't; it would have mortified her. Jet went on helping Albert with the beds as if her request was nothing out of the ordinary and to have a private section to herself wasn't bizarre.
Ivan, meanwhile, rolled the unfurled beds around with his telekinesis as the other two got them unhooked. France shook off her daze and started making up the beds with blankets and renewed gratitude at their common sense.
Soon after, Jet and Albert collapsed on a pair of beds at the opposite side of the room from her section. Ivan sat on his bed, in between their section and Francoise's section. He had a tattered deck of cards he had gotten from the storage room. He started laying out solitaire, but paused to say, "I'm fine, Francoise. There are no intense emotions right now."
She nodded and went to her bed behind the makeshift curtain. She collapsed, herself, but sleep was elusive, in spite of her physical exhaustion. There was sorrow at leaving Europe. She had dreamed of world travel as a ballerina, not as a fugitive. That dream seemed so distant, but she wasn't willing to let it go. Some way, she'd dance again and be on stage. She didn't doubt the ballet was her destiny.
Eventually, she drifted off, dreaming of red ballet shoes on her feet as she danced across the Parisian streets.
"I sense your presence," Ivan said. Albert pushed his surprise down and stepped out of the dusk shadows. The ocean stretched before them, glistening in gold, vermilion, and azure. They leaned against the railing in silence for several minutes; only the steady hum of the engines and crashing waves were in Albert's awareness.
He took a deep breath when he realized Ivan was going to be obstinate. "You know, Francoise is worried about you. You've avoided us for the last two weeks, and haven't slept any."
"Being around Francoise and Jet hurts too much," Ivan answered, not looking at Albert. "They experience so many emotions and mood swings."
"And me?"
"You still experience bouts of deep depression. It drags me into places I can't go right now." Albert frowned at Ivan's blunt tone. Ivan looked up at him with a subtle smile. "But, you are starting to heal some."
"Nice to know," he mumbled. "Ivan, you can't cut yourself off from us. You need to learn how to control this new power."
"You're afraid I'll slip into despair and want to go back to the Black Ghost."
"It's what we're all afraid of," Albert admitted grimly.
"I was trapped as an infant for many, many years. I'm so much older than you, in ways, but my parents kept me from interacting with people. When it comes to interacting with people, it's very complicated for me."
"I know, but we'll work it out with some time. You don't have to take all of this on your shoulders. You've been trying to take most of the responsibility for our escape and protection. You need to know your limits. Your parents..."
"Don't call them that!" Ivan looked infuriated. Albert nodded in agreement, remaining calm because he didn't want to hurt Ivan through his new found empathy.
"The Gamos could use this vulnerability, get you weak, and take you back. You can't wear yourself out. Learn to rely on us, not shepherd us."
"I will. I promise, but I do have to tell you something. You must promise me to not tell Jet or Francoise, because they'll talk me out of it. I've already made my decision."
Albert figured it was more important to know what was on Ivan's mind, than to ensure everyone was aware of each other's agendas. He could see earnestness in Ivan's mismatched eyes, and he knew Ivan would clam up and keep his secret if he sensed hypocrisy within Albert. "I won't tell the other two, even though I don't agree with keeping things from each other."
"When I meet Kozumi next time, I'm going to ask him to remove my right hemisphere, the pre-frontal cortex. At least that's the part Doctor Gamo indicated processes emotions; he discovered this right after my first surgery. His research is very advanced and reliable, also very monstrous. Once that part of my brain is gone, I should be free to use the rest of my abilities without interference."
Albert's brow furrowed. "That would mean you couldn't feel anymore?"
"Yes, I'd lose the ability to feel my own emotions, but I wouldn't be overwhelmed by other people's emotions, either. I could function in the way I want. My sole purpose is to defeat the Black Ghost, therefor, any impediment must be eliminated. If I need to become the perfect machine the Gamos wanted me to become to achieve this goal, I'll embrace it and take them down with me."
"Function? How about living your life? If you do this, you'd certainly would become the machine they want to turn you into. You can't do it. You'd lose yourself and your ability to connect with humanity. Please reconsider it. You would no longer have the drive to achieve that goal. You just couldn't care any more. What would be the point of destroying your humanity when you wouldn't care anymore?"
"But I cannot help you, Francoise, or Jet, if I don't do this. My weakness caused you three great pain. I didn't stop the Gamos when I could before you three were kidnapped. It got to be too late when they started medicating me. Then, all I could do was watch the three of you suffer like I had. I will not do that again. My emotions are a weakness that needs to be eliminated because Fyodr will exploit them. I've made up my mind. It's my body. I will choose to do with it as I please and not let that choice be dictated to me any longer." Ivan turned to leave.
Albert looked over his shoulder and said, "It seems to me your pa... the Gamos... are imposing their choices for your life, even from a distance. Just because you were forced into a machine body, doesn't mean you have to have a machine heart."
Ivan looked back at Albert. "I will not reconsider," he said in an icy tone that made Albert shiver.
Albert nodded. "I won't tell Jet or Francoise."
Jet stretched and turned to the man with the slicked-back, blond hair. "Hey, where are we again, Captain Cliff?"
"Port Lincoln." The man lit a cigarette and gestured towards a series of buildings by the docks. "Fishing town. Small, by New York standards."
"Suits me fine, for now," Jet mumbled. He turned to see Francoise; she looked incredibly sad. Ivan, beside her, looked just as dour. "Hey you two, you're making Heinrich look cheery."
"Albert," the German man said, walking up to Jet. He gave the older man a raised eyebrow. Albert lit a cigarette and said, "My name is Albert. All of you can call me by my Christan name rather than my surname and use less formal address. It's a little ridiculous, at this point, to be so formal."
"Well, Francoise told me that it wasn't cool to call Germans by their first names without permission. Guess that means we're growing on you," Jet replied in German, with a sly smile.
"Like toe fungus," Albert muttered. Jet just glared and vowed to give Albert "the business" later on. He didn't want Ivan to wig out. Albert looked over to the cargo ship captain. "We need to get a start here. Any jobs?"
"Always, at the docks. Day work and long term. You'll find something. Third building up, ask for McElhaney."
"Housing?"
"Rentals up the street," Cliff said, pointing.
"Something private, away from people?" Albert asked.
"Head further north."
"Thanks for your help," Albert said.
"Thank you," the man said, taking some lire from Albert. The captain turned and left.
"Great! How much money do we have?" Jet asked.
Albert held up several colorful lire. "Enough to live on for about a week, depending on the economy and our thrift. We need to find a place and call Doctor Kozumi right away. Then you and I will go look up McElhaney."
"I was afraid you were going to say that," Jet griped, following Albert down the street with Francoise and Ivan in tow.
Francoise paced back and forth, while Jet and Albert played cards on the nicked-up coffee table. She knew they were truly furious with one another. Nothing really new, lately, but the fight they'd had yesterday was incredibly volatile.
They had found jobs the day after they arrived in Australia at the local shipping yards, packing fish in crates. Now, two week later, Jet had had a huge argument with the foreman and gotten fired. Jet ran off, leaving Albert to work the rest of the shift alone.
Albert arrived at their rental house and told Francoise about it. She was angry, herself, because she had yet to find work and money was too tight. Jet showed up in time for dinner. He immediately jumped over Albert for not taking his side. Before Francoise could act as a peacemaker between them, Albert, rather than responding back with anger, calmly told him that he'd refuse to side with Jet if he were in the wrong. Francoise didn't know the details, but she knew Albert was a reasonable man and would have sided with Jet if he had really been put upon.
Then Albert had given Jet the ultimatum: get another legitimate job or leave. He told Jet their lives depended on everyone pulling together. Jet looked shamefaced after that and didn't respond. It seemed he understood that a group had to work together, and he understood he wasn't "pulling his weight." Francoise had quietly served them dinner, and the four of them ate in peace. After dinner, Jet apologized and promised to find another job. He declared he was no "candy ass" and would make up for it.
Albert pointed out that Kozumi was arriving and needed Jet to pick him up. Jet went to pick up the Japanese biochemist. It wasn't long before the man was firmly ensconced in Ivan's attic room with the teenage cyborg. The next day they were still waiting until late afternoon to hear word.
"It's been hours," Francoise said. Albert checked the clock on the wall and tossed his cards on the table. It was around four.
"Don't worry, Francoise. He'll take care of him," Albert assured her.
"Yeah, Albert is right, Kozumi knows what he's doing." Jet tossed his card hand on the table. "I've got something to do."
"What's that?" Albert asked.
"Picking up Kozumi gave me an idea. I just have to follow up on it."
Francoise watched Albert's eyebrow quirk before Jet sauntered out of their house. She started picking up around the small house and her own bedroom to distract her from her worry over Ivan.
The only room she refused to clean was the room Albert and Jet had to share. Jet, and Francoise suspected Albert as well, had wanted separate rooms, but they couldn't afford to rent a bigger place. Frankly, Francoise was happy the two adult males were confined to one space. Until she got a job, the majority of the housework fell to her.
Meanwhile, Albert read a book on their worn sofa; she didn't begrudge him too much, because he worked so hard all week long and was supporting them. Still, a part of her wished he would help out a little around the house. She could use the companionship, more than anything else.
"I'm finished," Kozumi called out. Francoise stopped doing the lunch dishes and came into the living room. The man sat on the sofa beside Albert, who set aside his book. Francoise prepared tea for them and they got comfortable, before Kozumi launched into his verdict.
"His brain is amazing, to say the least, but there has been a major flaw. The areas of brain that control his psychic abilities are in electronic harnesses and wired into a central unit. I just don't have enough expertise on that unit. When he uses his powers, those areas swell and press against the harnesses. Extreme heat is the cause and this is what triggers his bleeding. It's a miracle this setup hasn't caused a stroke or an aneurysm." Kozumi nodded thanks to Francoise, while lofting his tea cup.
He took a long sip as Albert asked, "He's lucky to be alive, isn't he?"
"Very much so, but I think I can control the swelling with a drug cocktail. The mechanical harnesses needs adjustment. It's a very serious operation that must take place over several weeks. His brain needs to be released by small amounts, let it adjust and then loosen it further. It'll be a long process."
"Will that fix his empathy problem?" Francoise asked.
"His hormonal balance is all wrong. This is a tougher fix than what I just told you. That will let him survive; for him to live would take a whole lot more. He went from an infant to a teenager within the span of one week. They didn't allow his flesh parts to experience the growth of a normal child. There is a lot of hormonal development in between. I believe this, along with the electronics, are contributing to many of his problems. My hope is that, with time, I can fix most of the damage done, and he can live a somewhat normal existence."
"How much time, Doctor?" Albert asked.
"I don't know. I'm not as skilled as his father is at the electronic enhancements to the brain, just the chemical. If I make a mistake, he'll die. Damn! If only Gilmore were here. He'd be able to fill me in on my concerns."
"He's still with the Black Ghost?" Francoise asked, before finishing her tea.
"Yes, he still thinks he's one of them, and he's trying to persuade me to join," Kozumi said with an air of disgruntlement.
"He doesn't know you're here?" she asked.
"Of course not. I told him I was visiting my relatives in Kyoto. I was very careful," Kozumi said. He cleared his throat and stood up. "Herr Heinrich, could you please escort me to the door. I'm staying at a close by hotel."
"Sure thing, Doctor," Albert replied. The two men stepped outside while Francoise picked up the tea set. Her fear over Ivan's well-being outweighed her morals over not snooping. She expanded her hearing.
"...and he begged me to do it, but I refused. It's just too horrible," Kozumi whispered, in a frosty tone. "I won't cut into a healthy body to make him into something empty."
"I know. I think there is so much to his decision that's so wrong. He thinks this will get him to his goal of taking down the Black Ghost. It won't. He'll just get lost if he can't connect with people," Albert answered in a dower tone.
"He maybe intellectually mature, but he's still an emotional child. His judgment isn't developed quite as well as ours."
"Yes, there are times he gets overly attached, or tries to manipulate others, but it's very subtle," Albert agreed. Francoise shivered, never really thinking of Ivan as manipulative before.
"Well, I can only do so much. I can ease his physical pain, with time, and give him a chance to have his body balance itself. But... he'll have to learn coping mechanisms, just like everyone else. I don't know how to do that other than to make him live as a normal person," Kozumi said. "I think what it comes down to this: he doesn't want to feel anything anymore. He's been through so much that he feels he can't deal with it on an emotional level. He's terrified to experience emotions, for some reason."
Francoise was more worried than ever. Ivan was considering doing something horrible to himself. She had to talk to him, get him to understand emotions were a part of life.
She heard Albert and Kozumi walk further down the sidewalk. She finished cleaning up and headed towards the staircase.
To be continued.