Thundertime

Thundertime

  Trina Malone

  Copyright 2012 Trina Malone

  ISBN: 9781476476858

  for Renegade

  I'm not sure how it all started, but then I'm not even sure it happened. There are a lot of people who say that it must have been a dream—delusion created by intense emotional stress. But then, I was there. I've seen the pictures. It must have been real.

  The pictures were what it was all about really, or at least that was what I told your bosses. Still, they'd never been there.

  I guess this isn't making much sense, so let me start over. My name is Carla. My friends were named Matt, Dom, Teresa and Sandy. Sandy was the one that left first. He was smart underneath all that stupidity. I never could get used to a guy named Sandy. Still, he was tall and topped with that peculiar color of hair that made me think of the beach. Guess that's why everyone called him Sandy.

  Teresa was blonde and all woman—if you know what I mean. Not that Teresa wasn't a lady. Oh, she was the grandest lady you ever met. You mess with her…why, she'd show you a thing or two.

  Then there were the two guys. They were a pair. Have you ever seen two really well rehearsed comedians go at it? Always playing off each other's gags—you never know who's on first? Well, those two were like that. Only they never needed to rehearse. They just had the same minds.

  You can't say I imagined those people. I can still see them. Matt was…slightly heavy, but not fat…just robust. He had dark hair and a face that showed his every thought. Dom wasn't like that. You never knew what Dom was thinking. Unless you could get really close to him and stare into those incredible ice blue eyes. Maybe that's why he wore his hair long—then no one could see his eyes.

  But you aren't really interested in them, are you?

  No, you want to know about me. You want to know why I joined the underground. You want to know why a model citizen turned the place upside down. You want to know if you've made me believe that they were an illusion.

  Well, I don't believe you. If they haven't come for me, then they're dead. There's a difference between dead and imaginary. They were real.

  Did your boss tell you what we did? Excuse me…what I did? No? He just said clear her mind, is that it? Well, let me tell you what WE did…then you can be my judge and executioner if you see fit.

  You ready for this? We found out that there are people here. Not just other bodies that walk around. Some philosophers say there's only one person in the universe and that person is dreaming the rest of us. They say, "Maybe I'm dreaming this…and there isn't anything else outside me…or at least nothing like what I think is there."

  Well, I've touched other minds. Those people were special. Something about us set up a resonance in all the others. When we were close…it was like my insides began to tingle. It was like parts of myself came alive when they were with me. Soon, they didn't even have to be near by. I could look at a picture….

  You want facts…I forgot. All right. I met Dom on the 25th marker of the second, five sections back. Yes, that was when I entered advanced training. We entered together. Do you know that people have dual roles? I mean they aren't just all in tune to one field….But they didn't teach you that in training so you won't believe it. Typical.

  Yknow, I picked that word up from Dom. He loved it. He was the leader̶—not me. No, it was never me. I'm not bright enough for that. He's the one who first said that maybe we were really all people. He likes to read histories.

  Yes, I know it's illegal, but they're better than fictions. They used to have a time when everyone was a person. No, I'm serious. Someone had to build the first androp. At first, you could tell an androp from a person easily. Nowadays, you have to kill the specimen and cut into it before you know. In case you're wondering, I'm a person, but I think I already said that. I can't remember what I've said any more. I've been babbling on like this for hours. How much longer do you want me to go on?

  Facts. Probably an androp—a person would be bored to tears by me by now. All right—I'll go on. Anyway, I'm a person—you'll find out for sure, I know, but then you can say I was right.

  I like histories, too. Well, I never was too bright. One day, Dom figured out that the fiction I was reading was a history with a fiction cover. The underground makes them…they're real cheep if you want one.

  Anyway, he recognized it and decided that he liked my style—despite my lack of intelligence—and decided to teach me a few things—like not to read histories on break.

  One day, he managed to sneak me away from the training area. How? Oh, he taught me how to pretend to faint. He HAD to take me to the medic since I certainly wasn't going to carry myself. The trainer let us go.

  Yes, I know they require a pass if you leave training. Some of Dom's friends from the underground forged them for us. Well, we went where there aren't any snoopers.

  When we were clear, he shoved that hair back out of his eyes and I

  realized that he was gorgeous as well as bright. "Carla, I'm a person," he said quietly.

  "You're sure?" I asked in amazement. "I know it. Don't you?"

  "No one knows for sure."

  "Sure. You read histories. Androp's don't have…well, that warmth inside that you can feel. Do you know what I mean?"

  "Well, maybe they changed it. I mean, the programmers are more clever than the ancients were."

  "Do you ever feel that warmth?" His eyes were so intense that I couldn't lie to him—I know that was my first mistake, but I'm glad I made it.

  "Yes, I feel it."

  "So, do you think a programmer put it inside of you? Or a trainer?"

  "I don't think so…." At least I didn't know then. I know now. No programmer could make a Dom—or a Carla for that matter.

  Well, he looked in my eyes and I started to feel that resonance for the first time. I guess he scared me. Still, it was so…I don't know…pleasant? Do you know that word? Ah…so you have read some histories…in the line of duty—of course.

  Soon he got around to introducing me to his pal, Matt. He introduces himself like "I'm a person, are you?" and looks like a new kid in base level training. He's so cute. I'd been around Dom for a while, then, so I could pick up that resonance easier with Matt.

  When I met Teresa, it was spooky. She wasn't even an underground person. She was a science trainee that wandered into my occupation one day. Guess she felt it, too, because she stayed around and went to the party with me that night. Only I didn't take her to the normal party, I took her to an underground party with Dom and Matt and Dom's new friend Sandy. Well, it was weird.

  No, I know you don't understand.

  Well, just trust me—I'm either crazy or about to be terminated…so there's no reason for me to lie to you—other than training and I wouldn't be here if I had been obeying the rules, now would I?

  I know—facts. Well, some histories have pictures in them—like snoopers, only without audio and they don't move. They are two dimensional and can be carried easily. Have you seen them? No…I wish they hadn't taken mine, I'd show them to you. Maybe your boss will let you see them…if you ask him—just for evidence, mind you.

  Well, I think it was Matt—or was it Teresa? Well, one of them found an old snooper like machine that made these little pictures. We found out that we could resonate with those little pictures.

  You really don't get it. Well, I could look at a picture of Dom, let's say, and know where he was and what he was thinking. I don't know why the snoopers don't learn to resonate—then they wouldn't have to watch us all the time. Still, I guess androps can't resonate and Dom thought that the snoopers were all androps anyway.

  Now don't get mad. You wanted to know what it was about.

  Well, we started trying to resonate off others, too. Sometimes it worked, someti
mes it didn't. That's how Dom figured that maybe androps can't resonate.

  Like I was saying, we could resonate off of pictures, too. Sandy worked in a snooper office. He's the one who swears that most of the snooper officials don't resonate. He got a hold on some of the old snooper reels and a viewer. We made pictures from the viewer and then we went through them. If we could resonate off someone, we tried to figure out if they would want to join us or not.

  Y'know you look familiar to me…maybe I saw you on one of those reels. No, I don't remember if you resonated or not. I don't know why I can't resonate now. Maybe something in the drugs….

  Well, if we could, we got near enough to the receptive people and told them where a meeting would be. They always came. Before long, we had a big group. We were beginning to be a threat. Sandy said the snoopers were noticing that I slipped off the reels for hours on end and couldn't be found. They started looking around and noticed that Dom and Teresa and Matt did, too. No one questioned Sandy.

  That's when Sandy left. Said he thought we were a bunch of looneys. I just think he got scared. Not that I blame him—I still think he was the smart one.

  Did we loose track of him? Haven't you been listening? Of course not. I didn't loose track of any of them till you rounded us up during that meeting. Someone gave me a good knock on the head during that round up. I can't even think properly any more—much less resonate. It takes concentration. I can't concentrate with my brain rattling around inside my head.

  Tell me one thing—did someone hit me, or did some of the programmers play games with my mind? Just give you facts and don't ask questions. Typical.

  Dom knew your kind would come for us. So did Matt. Matt was the one who actually put it into words. He said, "Well, we've lost Sandy. Anyone else want to get out before we all get killed?"

  I told him I'd stick with him till your kind decided to see if I was an androp or a person the hard way. Teresa said she'd stay and Dom smiled that crazy smile of his that meant that death was something he found intriguing. We lost a few of our followers, but not too many—you must be quite busy if you've questioned them all like you're questioning me. I heard that City One was overpopulated. Without the underground, you'll have more space—right?

  No sense of humor. Well, all right. We didn't want to die that easily. We separated into small groups and kept in contact by resonating. That meeting was a rare occurrence. Whoever your spy was—that's a person. No androp could have gotten in there. Unless it was Sandy who turned us in.

  Yes, I've thought of that. It could have been him. He had the knowledge—you can't hide a meeting from a true resonator. Like I said, he was real bright. I bet someone promised him his life for the information, right?

  All right. Well, we split up—sort of. We kept in constant contact. If I thought Matt or Teresa or Dom was in trouble, I'd go to them. Same with them. Once I got in a fight with a trainer about something. Well, It wasn't ten minutes before the others were there—excusing me for being ill, I think. I can't remember. I really am getting tired….Still, I'm almost finished, aren't I?

  Dom decided it had gone far enough. He didn't like sneaking around in tunnels and such. So, he called a meeting to plan a rebellion. Well, that's it. We got together, everything was fine and then in came the snooper troops and I heard Teresa scream right before someone hit me on the head.

  Well, there is one more thing. Just as I blacked out, someone was resonating with me. It was Dom…he said he loved me.

  Now don't give me that disapproving look. Didn't think you'd hear me swearing, now did you? Well, it wasn't a bad word in ancient times. It was something really special back then. It had to do with resonating as easily as he and I did. It had to do with that warm something inside. I've offended you—I'm sorry.

  So what happens now? I don't suppose you'd tell me what happened to them? Why can't I resonate any more?

  All right, I'll shut up and let you think.

  Wait a minute…I remember! One of your troops drugged me—and its wearing off. I can resonate now…just a bit. It's getting clearer. They're gone. I'm the last. There's nothing inside of me. I'm empty. No! How dare they die without me! Kill me—oh, please—kill me. Without them I'm alone. Don't you understand? I'm a person! A person can't be alone and survive!

  Okay, I'm calmer now. Before I die, tell me—I'm right, aren't I—it was you, wasn't it?

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  This is a freely distributed experiment in formatting.

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