Note: Thanks to everyone who is following this story. I usually just write my best and post, and not worry about the response. But with you guys following along I feel a responsibility to please. That being said, this chapter didn't really go where I had originally intended. It's not bad but it strays from my loose synopsis. But after pecking at the keyboard all day I just didn't have it in me to start over. Hope it works for you. I actually already know the ending of the story, but that is still a long way off (hint, hint) and there are sure to be a few hits and misses along the way-BH
Alive
A fan fiction in progress by
Bryan Harrison
Part 8
1
The sun rose behind low hanging bank of grey clouds through which only intermittent beams of light could pass. David lay in the gloom, rolling fitfully on a makeshift bed of damp leaves. The snake wasn't sitting too well and, therefore, neither was he. After a time, he jumped up and strode quickly to the bushes. He pressed his hands against a tree for balance and bent over until his spasms subsided. This had been going on all night and David had a vague sense that it was due to the events in the forest, with the madman Johnson-Johnson. But when his stomach had finally cleansed itself of the foul meal he'd ingested, he realized the snake was the culprit. Regurgitation was one of the uglier bodily functions and, even in the midst of it, David found himself again wondering how Orga carried on with all this pain.
But when he was through, and the snake finally gone, his head started to clear. His dark sense of pending doom was lifting as the sun warmed the land. He was feeling better. But then he took note of his condition and his mood sank again. His shoes and pants were covered in mud and dirt, his shirt stained and torn. He lifted his arm and took a tentative sniff. He moaned. He wasn't going to make much of an impression on anyone in this condition. He certainly did not want Mommy to see him like this.
And to top it off, after he had gone through such pains to purge the foul meat, he was hungry again. During his time in the hospital he had come to take meals for granted, never thinking how much effort went into obtaining the food necessary to sustain his body.
"How many times do I have to do this?" he asked aloud.
Teddy had been sitting against the tree with his motivators set to stand by. The toy was alerted by the sound of David's voice. "Do what, David?" it inquired. David shot a perturbed glance at the Mecha, wishing, for a moment, that he too had no need for food. But after a short bout with jealousy, he remembered why he had sought out the Blue Fairy and his determination came back.
"Nothing, Teddy," he said as he rose and did his best to brush the dirt off his clothes. "I have to find some food."
2
Civilization turned out to be not so far away. It was only twenty minutes later, 9:23am by Teddy's clock, that they came to mesh fence that separated the forest from a small asphalt lot. Beyond the lot lay a gathering of shining grey buildings, and beyond that, a cluster of quiet houses huddled in a quiet cul de sac.
"Orga," David whispered. He didn't know why he wanted to keep his voice low. He was excited and scared at once. Excited because he was now one of them. He wanted to walk among them, to be accepted and make friends. Scared because he still had something to hide. He was wanted. Even if he found Mommy today, he'd have to figure a way around that obstacle.
Teddy called to him. "Here, David," the toy said. David looked to see a slice in the fence as if someone had shorn it with scissors. There was a depression of cleared earth that led through the tear. David realized that this hole must be used regularly. He followed Teddy through the fence, working his way carefully past the sharp ends of the metal. He knew that his new body was vulnerable to cuts; and cuts could lead to infection.
When he was through the fence he stopped. He stood there for a time, wringing his hands, feeling his nerves strung tight. "Let's go now," Teddy suggested, the black beads of his eyes fixed curiously on David's hesitant stance. David knew that he really had no choice but he'd never had this kind of fear before; not when he was…
He let that thought fall away. He couldn't keep thinking about his other life. It was over now. He stepped cautiously away from the fence, out from the cover of the trees and onto the asphalt. Large poles shot up from the surface of the lot. Flat glass plates were attached to these poles, with nets hanging from circular rings of metal. David knew this shape but could not recall it from his data banks… he had no more data banks. But as best he could recall, they were harmless. He continued.
Mud that had dried on the bottom of his shoes crumbled underfoot as he walked. Even though it was daylight and anyone could see him, David had an odd desire for stealth. He scraped his feet against the ground until they the dirt fell off and he could walk in silence.
The buildings were angular, with walls of reflective glass, and arranged in a complex crisscrossing pattern with slate grey walkways between them. As they grew close David could see letters embossed on the biggest of the structures. He struggled with the words, remembering a time when he would have known instantly what was written there. Now he sounded the words out slowly.
"Nnnn.. New Shhhh… Shoooo. New Shores Hig… High! New Shores High!" he said, pleased that he'd been able to figure it out. But still the words made no sense. Teddy was already walking ahead so David forgot about the words and caught up. The asphalt ended at the barrier of another fence, and a walkway proceeded from there, leading to large passageway. David passed through slowly; unnerved by the sound of his footfalls resonating against the walls. Ahead of them lay another opening, and in the center of the walkway stood a strange object. David crept towards it slowly, expecting at any moment some alarm would go off, alerting invisible sentries to his presence. But it turned out to be only a metal tube that stood about eye level with him. David worked out the words written at the head of the thing.
"Data Ki…ki… Data kiosk!" he realized. Excitement renewed, David slipped the wristband from his arms, and sought for instruction on how to use the machine He noticed a flashing pad next to a series of buttons with numbers on their faces, and was about to place the bracelet over the pad when he remembered Angelo's warning.
"Teddy," he called.
David held Teddy up and the toy placed its palm against the pad. It only took a moment for it to find a path past the LAN and open a line to the Web. When Teddy was online an illegal snooper opened in its head and it quickly found what David was looking for: The State Police APB data feed. "There is an APB, David," Teddy said finally. "All jurisdictions are cautioned to be on the lookout for an abandoned boy known only as 'David'. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Approximately eleven years of age, sixty pounds, and four feet six inches in height. Parents unknown. D.O.B. unknown. CLA status unverified. Last seen in general vicinity of Trenton General Hospital." Teddy was silent a moment. "I cannot access any further details. They are restricted."
"Are there any…" David paused trying to remember the words. "Amber alerts?"
The bear was quiet again.. "Yes, David" it said after a moment.. "Three children are reported missing or abducted. A boy called Phillip and two girls."
"I don't need to worry about the girls… do I?" David asked.
"I don't know, David," Teddy said apologetically.
David set the bear down and stood at the kiosk. He dangled the bracelet above the pad, but didn't set it down. The bracelet contained the identity he'd need to use to get around the police and find Mommy. But Angelo had explained that if the identity triggered an Amber Alert there would be a police response and he'd have to leave quickly. He couldn't afford go back into the forest without food. But neither could he continue without an identity. He mulled over this problem for a moment, and then slowly he set the bracelet on the pad, expecting alarms to erupt all around him. Instead, he was greeted by a cheerful voice.
"Hello, Susan!" the kiosk said.
"Susan?" David blurted.
"And welcome to New Shores High," the kiosk continued, "Home of the Fighting Land Sharks! I am sorry but we're not in session at this time. If you have inquires about enrollment please leave your net address, or you can contact us via the web at…"
David didn't hear the rest. His attention was caught by three figures moving across the mouth of the hallway. They were dressed in tight, dark clothing and moving quickly over the ground. But they were moving faster than ordinary Orga feet could carry them. David slipped the bracelet onto his wrist and stepped away from the kiosk, hoping that the strangers wouldn't see him. But he was too late. The first of the three turned his head in David's direction and slowed. The others followed his gaze and then they all stopped. With a shock David now noticed that the dark strangers did not touch the ground but their feet were somehow floating a few inches above it. Were they Mecha? He smiled and waved a tentative greeting.
The three did not return the wave. They stood motionless, staring. Even in the distance David could see the suspicion in their eyes. He sighed when the strangers started floating slowly in his direction. But as they moved closer David could see that they were boys about his age… or the age he was supposed to be. The first one was fair, with wavy blonde hair and a snide smirk on his, otherwise, cherubic face. The second was dark skinned and his hair clung to his scalp in tight curls. He looked at David with a skeptically raised eyebrow. The last, the smallest of the three, was a pale looking boy with fiery red curls atop his head and freckles along the ridge of his nose. This one looked as if he had something to prove.
All three were clad in skintight suits with a single red stripe down the side; and hovering over the ground on thin black boards. David was fascinated by the boards as the boys glided in slow circles around him.
"Wazza, kid?" the blonde boy said at last, a challenge in his voice.
"Wa…uh.. what?" David asked.
"Wazza! Don't you know English?"
"Yes, I do," David replied. "I remember…uh, I know most of it… all of it, actually."
The blonde looked at his friends and they shared a laugh that David didn't understand.
"Waaza!" The boy repeated. "Grok? As in wazzit? Wazups? Wazapps, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."
The boys continued circling as David struggled with the words. When he was sure he could make no sense of them, he shrugged. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I am not sure that I-"
"What's your twenty," the dark kid interrupted, impatiently.
David pondered this for a moment. "uh… I'm only 10?" he replied, hoping this was the right answer.
"Kah! Freek geek!" the red haired boy laughed. "Wazzup with the mud on ya ropes? You vaggin?"
David could only reply with a perplexed expression.
The boys exchanged tight glances and then stepped off their boards. In a unified move that must have been rehearsed, they kicked downward causing the boards to flip up into their hands. They continued circling David, but on foot now, and much closer. David could feel their breath as they shot questions at him.
"I said what's up. Like, what're you doing here?" said the blonde kid.
"Yeah, and where you from?" asked the dark one.
"Yeah and what's with the crap in your clothes? You a vagrant?" said red.
David didn't know where to start answering. "I was just… uh, I'm from… uh… I just.." He gave up with an exasperated sigh. "I need food," he admitted.
The boys exchanged knowing glances. "He's vaggin!" they said together and broke into laughter. David watched the boys laughing and slapping each other's hands. He quickly decided he'd had enough.
"It was… nice meeting you," he said. "But I really have to -" The blonde boy was suddenly standing chest to chest with him. There was a look in his eyes that David hadn't seen since the night Martin had sent him on his fateful quest for Mommy's hair.
"Did I cut you loose? A'cause, I don't remember cutting you loose," the boy said quickly, cocking his head to the side. David didn't understand the meaning of the boy's head movement any better than his words, but was intimidated nonetheless
"I have to go find some food now," he said, politely. He was starting to feel dizzy again. He didn't want to pass out, like he had in the forest.
"Skin or tin?" The dark boy asked, a new menace in his eyes. David screwed up his face in confusion. "Your crew," the boy clarified. "You vaggin with flesh or fiber?"
David thought he knew this one "I'm a boy," he replied confidently. Was that all this was about?
"I said your crew!" the boy yelled. "I can tell you're a skin by the stank comin' off ya!" The boys all laughed and slapped each other's palms again. David moaned and tried to leave, but he was quickly surrounded. The blonde haired boy bumped hard against him.
"Play nice!" Teddy commanded.
The boys shot amused glances at the Supertoy. "Awww, how cute," said the blond. "I'll bet you like to dress it up sometimes, huh? And pretend you're having the girls over for tea?" David tried to move away again, but the red one intervened, blocking his path.
"We'll let you go… when he know… we got all the fo," the boy said.
The blonde boy took his eyes off David and shot an irritated look at red. "The fo?" he asked.
"Yeah," red replied, defensively. "You know, the 'fo'…. like info."
The dark kid guffawed. "Kah, Scooter! That's DAS! When'd you dream that one up?"
"F.O., Drake! It makes sense." Scooter replied. But his friends continued to laugh at him. The boy blushed and planted his hands on his hips, pouting until they finished.
The blonde turned his attention back to David. "What's your name?" he said. It was the first question that David understood. But he realized he couldn't tell them his real name. There was an 'APB' out for him… whatever that was. He had to use the name on the bracelet… the one the kiosk had called him… and unfortunately that had been…
"Susan," David said weakly, knowing what was coming.
The three boy's jaws dropped in a look equal parts disbelief and unbridled joy. "Kaaaah!" they yelled in unison. Then they fell into laughter again. "O-M-F-G! This just gets better and better!" said the boy named Drake.
The blonde boy forced himself to be serious and pressed his finger against David's chest. "OK, Miss Susan," he said, "I'm Corey. And I'm sooo sorry we huffed at your name but… see, we all have guy's names… like normal and everything, grok? And we all take showers so we don't stank like a ceptic tank… and we don't live in the shrubbies with the vags or the fiberheads, so you'll have to excuse us if we come off a little intolerant and dickish, etcetera.
"But we're generally a good natured crew…" he turned to his friends. "Aren't we guys?" The others nodded with exaggerated looks of sincerity on their faces. "See," Corey said. "But since we can't use our power boards on the public tracks anymore, we sort'a claimed this court, grok? And we can't allow trespassers…. even normal ones… but especially not a vag fag dressed in rags." The others laughed dutifully.
"But like I said, we're usually all nice and cuddly, etcetera, so we'll let you go if you can just pass one little test"
David missed most of Corey's words, but the idea was clear. "OK," he said, hoping it would soon be over. His stomach was beginning to twist. "What shall I do?"
Corey chuckled again. "You 'shall' ride," he mocked. He held a hand out to Scooter. "Flip it," he said. Scooter's cocky expression changed into one of a petulant child. "Why me? Let him ride yours!" he cried. But Corey just continued holding his hand out and the other boy finally relented, handing over his board. Corey pressed it against David's chest and let go. David caught it before it fell.
"Bitch Match," Corey explained. "Mano-a-mano. Three strikes," he said, holding up an equal number of fingers. Then a dark smile spread on his face and he cupped two of his fingers away so that only one very significant finger was left standing. "Death mode."
Only one word caught David's attention. "Death?" he repeated.
Cory's dark smile turned into an even darker glare. He flicked a switch on his board and flung it to the ground. It hummed viciously over the asphalt. Corey jumped on it and shot over the court. He spun dizzying loops, then cut back and forth with blinding speed, his board buzzing like an angry wasp. He spun again and then shot towards the fence, banked a turn against it and leveled out. He stopped suddenly, and started pressing his legs back and forth in a teeter-totter fashion. After a few repetitions of this movement, the boy was bouncing high into the air, higher than David's stood; then coming back to earth and bouncing up again. On the last bounce Corey crouched low, pressing the board so close to the ground that it seemed to snarl, and then shot so high that the boy glided smoothly over one of the hoops suspended above the court, and then hovered smoothly back to earth.
Corey spun a few quick loops before humming slowly towards David. "Death mode, beeeatch!" he said, slapping his friend's hands as he passed.
"I don't know how to do that," David pointed out.
"Do or die, or do and die anyway," Scooter laughed.
Corey nodded to acknowledge that Scooter had made a good one this time. "Let's play, Little Suzie," he said, and reached over to flick a switch on the board in David hands. It began to vibrate so violently that he dropped it. It fell to just inches above the ground and began gliding away slowly.
"Don't let my board cruise!" Scooter yelled, pushing David towards the board. David jumped and landed almost inadvertently on the power skate's smooth black surface. Instantly, it seemed, his feet were somehow glued to the thing. He tottered back and forth for a moment, trying to stay standing. But when he leaned back to correct his balance, the board shot out from under him. David hit the asphalt in a painful heap. Stars erupted behind his eyes. His breath whooshed out of him. He writhed in pain for a moment, and then he rose to hear Teddy complaining, and scolding the boys.
Corey was hovering a small circle around the angry Supertoy. When he saw David was getting up he made a quick twist of his legs and his board bumped Teddy on the head, sending the bear sprawling across the court. "Ooops," Corey said, nonchalantly. Then he cruised close by David.
"One strike for you," he said with a smile.
David was about to try and reason with the boy. He didn't know how to ride. He was tired and hungry. But something was moving in the back of his head. It was red and pulsating, this thing. It came into his face and his brows pinched as a dark thought came to the foreground of his mind.
"OK," David said. "Let's go."
"Kah!" Corey said happily.
But Drake suddenly intervened. "Screw it, Core," he said, a hesitant look on his face. "The vag's a tard. Let him cut out. Let's glide." But Corey was obviously having fun. He dismissed Drakes suggestion with a flippant wave. "Only two strikes to go," he said. Drake shot an impatient glance at David. But there was something else in his eyes; something that suggested he felt Corey was getting out of line.
The board hadn't gone far. Without a rider it had slowed after about twenty feet, and was now moving away at a snails pace. David brushed himself off and ran to get it. He placed one foot hesitantly on the black surface and the thing stopped, purring under the weight of his leg.
Drake was suddenly beside David, moving in graceful circles and speaking in a language that David could understand. "Hey, vag. Bend your knees like this. Hold your arms out for balance. Lean forward and push your foot back to go forward, lean back and push the front to slow down. And turn like this." He executed a quick circle. "And keep your feet flat or you'll break the membrane seal and fall off." Drake moved back and forth gracefully, and then spun a few more quick circles so David could see how it was done. David watched the boy's feet and thought he understood the principle.
"Don't try any tricks, kid." Drake warned when he was through. "You're gonna get your butt kicked anyway, so just get it over with."
David looked up and smiled at the boy. Drake frowned and rolled his eyes, but David thought he saw a quick wink there too. Drake shot away. David jumped atop the board and felt his feet lock again. He bent his knees and fought to keep his balance. The board hummed under his feet, and started moving slowly ahead. David followed Drakes instructions and found it to be easier than he had thought. In a few moments he was moving forward quickly. But the edge of the court was coming. He managed to slow and then stop and move backwards. He mimicked Drakes movement and actually laughed when he felt the board start to turn beneath him. This was... fun! He leaned back automatically to compensate for the tilt and laughed again. Learning to move was easier now than it had been in his former life. His brain seemed to be programming itself, calculating balance and speed and distance with automatic precision.
Corey was suddenly circling him and sneering. "Lessons over, vag fag. Time to rock."
"Then let's rock," David yelled back. He shot forward, feeling the air rushing against his face, and a sudden unexpected thrill racing through his veins. It was majestic, this feeling. He almost forgot he was hungry as he glided quickly over the surface of the court. One of the posts was coming quickly. David leaned and turned the board, uttering an involuntary "Yes!" as shot quickly around the post, hearing it whoosh as he sped by. He was trying to level out of the turn when he heard a snarl behind him. He turned to see something black speeding towards him. A moment later it had moved above him. David felt Corey's board connect with the top of head and found himself laying on the asphalt again.
"Strike two," Corey laughed.
The red vibrating thing came back into David's mind and he quickly pushed himself up through his pain and humiliation. The board was only few feet away. Corey was hovering a few yards beyond that, slapping palms with Scooter and Drake. David found himself moving automatically. His pain was gone. His hunger forgotten. All that was left was a new level of anger that burned in his chest. He ran to the board and jumped onto its surface, felt his feet lock; leaned forward and pushed back. The board shot forward.
"The vag!" Scooter yelled.
Corey turned just in time to see David hit him. The boys spilled from their boards and onto the asphalt. David was up instantly. "Strike one!" He yelled and raced for his board. Corey was stunned. But he quickly regained his senses and was onboard immediately after.
"Kah, vag fag! Good one! Now feel my wrath!" The boy sped at David, his arm cocked and ready to strike. David tried to duck but the boy was too fast and he felt the world spin around him as he was knocked to the ground again.
"Steee-rike three! And you're outta heeeere! " Corey laughed as he glided a victory loop. David's head hurt. His back hurt. His mind raged. These boys knew he couldn't compete. This was unfair. It was cheap. The injustice meshed with his humiliation to form a perfect storm of rage. He jumped up and raced for the boy. A moment later he was on the asphalt again. But this time Corey was beneath him. David's fists flew. Spittle and indecipherable screams of outrage erupted from his mouth. He felt his fists connect with Corey's face; felt Corey's connect with his. Something hit him from behind. He looked up to see Scooter and Drake were on him too. Their fists beat against his head. Their feet pounded his legs and arms. David lashed out at the three boys, screaming pitifully. He had been minding his own business. He had only wanted something to eat! "Leave me alone!" He screamed.
"Hey!"
The voice was deep and commanding. The boys parted, leaving David to lay crumpled and whimpering on the asphalt. He looked up through tearful eyes to see another group of boys gliding smoothly across the court. They were older, larger. They wore no uniforms, only torn and ragged shorts with bits of metal sewn into them, and strange symbols drawn crudely on their t-shirts.
The largest of the boys rode close to David. He was a heavyset kid, with wavy dark hair that hung into his face. He looked at David a moment and then set a look of mock disgust on the younger skaters. "What're you freeks doin messin' with the vagrants again?" he said. "Didn't the cops already warn you 'bout that?"
Corey jumped up and started wiping at the white stains the asphalt had left on his leotard. "Kah, Todd. The vag fag messed with us. Grok? We was just TCB'n for the twenty." David didn't try to argue with this lie. But he felt a strange satisfaction knowing he was responsible for the bruises already forming on Corey's face.
The older boy smirked and his friends laughed. Their deeper voices held a menace that made David's assailant's step back. "Get off that gibberish, Corey, you little effing tard. That supposed to be cool or something?" The large boy said. Then he looked at David and something strange crossed his face. David cringed under the look but after a moment realized that it wasn't really spiteful; that it was more like… amazement? "Yo, Marty, check this out." the older boy said, beckoning over his shoulder.
A tall, skinny boy glided up beside the heavyset one and looked down at David with suspicious eyes. David returned the gaze defiantly wondering what kind of trouble these large kids had planned. But as he looked into the other boy's eyes, something flashed in his mind.
"You little jerks cut out," the tall boy said without taking his eyes off David. There was something strange in his voice.
"Kah?" Corey yelled. "K-M-A! We were riding this court before you guys!"
The tall boy kicked his board into sudden life and zipped over the court with amazing speed. A moment later Corey was laying on the ground, moaning and rubbing his head. Scooter and Drake had already got the point and were quickly racing away.
"Grock that, you little snot," the tall boy laughed as he zipped circles around Corey, passing so close that he caused the blonde boy's hair to ruffle. "I'm counting to five," the older boy said, "and if you're still here, that board is mine. One. Two. Three…."
Corey didn't wait to find out if the threat was real. He shot a rude gesture over his shoulder as he sped away but the older boy ignored it. He zipped close to David, and stopped. He kicked his board so that it flipped up and landed neatly under his arm. Then he looked down on David and scratched his head.
David studied the boy, thinking there was something familiar about him. He was tall and thin, his hair straight and black, dangling over his shoulders. He wore tattered blue pants that had been cut at the knee and a wrinkled plaid shirt with menacing words scrawled on the sleeves.
But his eyes! David knew those eyes.
"Martin?" he whispered in awe.
Martin Swinton stepped backwards, his face twisted in shock and disbelief.
"No way," he muttered. "No effing way."
.