Launch, p.13
Launch, page 13
He beamed a photo up to the screen. A redhead with short, spiked hair and a worried face stared back at them.
Simon quietly clicked his fingers, a habit when processing new information. “Do we have identification on what his power is?”
Jackson touched his glasses again, swiping files across the television in rapid fashion. His speed-reading ability could out do the rest of the crew in that department. “We don’t. There are variable readings we haven’t been able to classify.”
“That’s okay. Does everyone agree he’ll be a candidate for the high group as well?”
The staffers nodded in unison.
Simon clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Any other findings out there?”
The group brought forward a couple of other high potentials. They debated the readings and placed the kids accordingly. It all excited him, but he patiently waited for the final reveal. The key they needed.
“What about the shining girl?”
Kelsey raised her hand. “We have confirmation. The girl is Lily Beausoliel, recently moved to Palo Alto from Seattle. She fit the basic profile to a tee: wounded with potential. Interestingly, the Focuser found things we’ve never seen before. She’s a light-wielder. Levels went off the scale. In fact, we recalibrated the headset afterward to be sure.”
“How many of you were at the party tonight?”
A-ha. Everyone shared looks, averting their eyes from Simon’s. Finally, Jackson spoke up. “We were busy collecting and analyzing all of the data.”
Simon stood up and walked the room. “We have to remember to not get so focused on the numbers and graphs and information that we miss the observations right in front of us.”
He slipped his phone out and twirled it in his hand, then he swiped to open Flare. A video streamed to the screen.
The images flickered and took a moment to orientate. The DJ’s music mixed with the cheers of the party. Teenagers jiggled around under the lights, which sometimes flashed so brightly it whited out the view. An amorphous glow hovered above the crowd until it formed into a pink butterfly that flew and bobbed over the teens’ outstretched hands.
Simon smiled at the stunned silence of his leaders. The same way he had felt earlier in the night.
The last image showed an eruption of light sculptures, and the camera zoomed in on a blonde girl with her arms raised high.
Kelsey looked at her screen. “Yes, that’s the girl. She did all that? The analysis indicated it wasn’t fully activated yet, much less that she had that much control.”
Simon sat down on the couch and leaned forward, intently waiting for the answer he needed. “She’s the one that Flare 2.0 needs. Is she going to be able to do this?”
Kelsey fiddled with her tablet. “I don’t envy her last two years. Her mother apparently had a drug problem that resulted in a car crash killing her and a younger brother. Then her father remarried, and they moved to Palo Alto for a new job. She’s also struggled fitting in at school.”
How could he measure the worth of his research team? With these details, Simon should have no problem influencing Lily. And yet, the detail of an alleged drug problem lodged in his mind. Why was there a question about there being a drug problem?
Jackson’s eyes flicked around behind his specs, analyzing the screen. “Everything on our testing suggests she will. The question is if the strain will be too much for her.”
Everyone shifted their gazes to Simon. He stood up. “With all we’ve strived to do, it will be a small sacrifice.”
Chapter Thirty
Demarcus was in heaven. He finally got his bacon, and he popped a piece into his mouth while winding through the food line. The crunch released the smoky flavor into his mouth. Now if he could avoid being teleported, he could hold it down.
Mixed feelings swirled in his gut. The party last night was such a blast. From a slow start, it had exploded in energy and fun once Simon kicked it off. It felt good to let loose with some of his dance moves. The action had continued late into the night, and he felt a bit drained today.
The staff had shut it down at 11pm to keep them from going too long. They needed to be ready for the excitement today.
Despite his fatigue, the rest of the cafeteria was charged up. Alturas would reveal the action groups after breakfast. Everyone wanted to know whom they’d be working with and what the groups would do.
Still, he kept having the thought that no one really knew what the outcome of the weekend would be. The words sounded inspiring, but what did it all mean? He couldn’t point to anything concrete announced at the conference so far.
Another feeling, that he’d forgotten something last night, nagged at him.
His arm bumped against someone when he turned from the line. “Dude. My bad,” he managed through the rest of his bacon.
A Hispanic girl looked up at him. “Don’t worry, it takes more than a tap to knock me over.”
He almost choked. “Rosa Gonzales?”
Her eyes narrowed. She scanned his face. “Wait. Did we have a class together?”
“Yeah. Computer in 5th hour from Mr. Gordon. Funny running into you here.”
A slow smile, like a jungle cat knowing its prey was trapped, parted her lips. “It really is. This is something incredible, isn’t it?”
Demarcus nodded, his mind racing about the weird encounter the first night when she disappeared. “I bet the teachers at school would freak if they saw us here.”
Now a frown broke out, and her eyes darkened. “Something like that. Anyway, I’ll see you around. I’ve got to meet someone.”
Rosa winked at him and wandered back to a table where the guy she had danced with last night looked concerned. Was it that she had talked to another guy? That dude didn’t have anything to worry about.
Lily, Sarah Jane, and Harry joined him at the table. Their little group all seemed subdued today. Demarcus couldn’t put his finger on it. Everyone had partied hard last night. Was that all it was?
Harry fiddled with his French toast sticks, absently dipping them in applesauce. Not as bad as fish sticks in pudding, but still weird. Even Lily slowly slipped her coffee. She must have done something different with her make-up this morning. Her complexion seemed radiant.
The screen in the cafeteria flickered to life. Simon plunked down in a chair in a faded red shirt with a soda pop logo.
“Hey there, mighty cadets. Who had fun last night?”
The room roared in approval.
“Now begins the critical part of the weekend. After your meal you’ll come to Redwood Hall. There will be partitions set up on the lawn next door. We’re splitting you up between ten stations. Names will be listed under a number before you enter the area. Find the number and line up according to the order listed.
“You’ll be directed to a counselor ready to place you in your functional groups and let you know where you’ll meet with them. Then you’ll be given your initial meeting time with your group to figure out your agenda. This is where the rubber meets the road, gang. Let’s go change the world.”
The video blinked out. Just then everyone’s bands beeped in unison, and the whole room focused on their wrists. Demarcus’s band read “4.”
“What did you guys get?”
John wiped down the desk in the headquarters, even as he searched through drawers. He meant to infiltrate and discover the truth about Alturas, yet a compulsion pushed him to do a good job while he was at it. His supervisor had already complimented him on how clean the bathrooms were on his rounds.
Do everything as unto the Lord. Old habits were hard to break.
Nothing here. He needed to find more information on the transference and how Simon affected the youth. John recognized some kind of mind control or influence going on. Simon’s gifting? He’d sensed it the other day. Except he couldn’t find any information on how it worked or what the ultimate plan was. It was like a black hole.
John’s lips moved in silent prayers as he moved into the lab next door. His quality work and favor from above had earned him a badge that allowed access to secure areas, but so far, he’d heard only whispers and rumors from the staff. Not enough to expose the threat of this company or the people behind it.
His most significant find thus far was the discovery of the two boys and their gifts, and the document Demarcus had uncovered helped focus his investigation. It wasn’t enough—he needed a breakthrough. The conference continued to progress, and he couldn’t let the anointed fall under the sway of its charismatic leader.
Simon Mazor. John kept pondering this wounded young man, who had some gift, something supernatural, beyond the genius that enabled him to build the Flare network.
John spoke in an ancient language, interceding for the anointed, the ones he still needed to find, and for Simon and his staff. They were lost, and they needed light in the worst way.
The lab had multiple workstations topped with the best computer equipment John had ever seen. Papers lay scattered across the surface of the long metallic table along the far wall. He couldn’t wait to find Demarcus and do this with a diversion. Alone, he had to risk the surveillance cameras.
He wouldn’t have time to get into the computers, and the security likely surpassed his meager technological skills. He could only learn so much, even with grace, at his age. Perhaps the papers held the needed clues.
John worked his way back, trying to maintain his cover as long as he could. Nothing stood out over the computer stations. At the large worktable, he spied a large schematic on blue paper for a spherical metal object. Two large cables protruded from its bottom, as well as four supports, likely to function as a stand.
Technical writing filled the sides of the blueprint. John wiped a rag around the area with one hand and pulled some reading glasses out of his chest pocket. Nothing stood out that he could understand.
A faint, tangy odor caught his attention, even over his cleaning chemicals. He scanned for the source. At the right end of the station, an empty soda cup sat next to a loose packet of hot sauce that leaked red liquid on the metal.
The taco-lover. His poor hygiene may be a gift from heaven. Instead of rushing right to the messy station, he tried to work with deliberate patience. When he reached the mess, he made sure to scrub the table thoroughly, and he tossed the empty containers in his garbage.
What could these other documents give him? He frantically scanned the technical jargon. Wait—something stood out: “Global amplification of the signal will exponentially increase if powered by an appropriate source.” The paragraph continued with the mathematical equations to prove the statement.
How could Simon do that? The routers throughout campus amplified his control, but the signal was limited. Even with them sending the message out farther, it weakened at the boundaries of the campus.
John fingered the sensor in his pocket. The little gadget he’d borrowed earlier measured the signal strength. When he used it, he discovered the routers, and it led him to this building.
Something intense would have to spread the transmission worldwide without it degrading. What would that be?
His hand, absently wiping circles on the counter, pushed some papers aside and revealed two small plastic containers in a clear bag. Each one held a circular Band-Aid-type patch with micro circuitry embedded in the center. The label read, Nullifier.
Those might come in handy. He pushed the papers back over the spot, but his rag held the Nullifiers. He slipped the bag into his pocket.
Why would anyone need Nullifiers? Was Simon going to use his gift to affect people and broadcast it to the world?
John snapped his fingers. That’s why the fiber optic cables were featured in that rally. He means to send that signal across the globe and hold sway over billions. That sphere on the schematics must be the amplifier. What could possibly power it?
A beep sounded from his other pocket. He pulled out his cell phone.
It was time.
The boys had failed to show after the party. At least John had gotten the speedster’s attention. John had sensed Demarcus was about to expose his gift.
The signal at the party pushed the sensor reading to maximum. It must have clouded their minds, because every teen stopped at the same time and returned immediately to their dorms. John had no chance to catch them afterward.
He had to intercept Demarcus and Harry before their assignments. John needed to warn them of his findings, and, if possible, uncover the power supply for the global plan.
Chapter Thirty-One
All of the Launch attendees made their way toward Redwood Hall. Different groups chattered in excitement on the walk there. Lost in thought, Demarcus trailed a step behind Harry and Sarah Jane, with Lily pushing ahead in anticipation. Despite the collective thrill everyone had about getting their assignments, something didn’t sit right with him. And he was pretty sure it wasn’t the bacon.
He couldn’t explain it, but the closer they walked to the assignment area, the heavier it fell over him, like a dark cloak. Dread was the closest word he could think of. Why did he feel this way?
The attendees split for their separate stations up ahead. As Harry rounded the corner, Demarcus heard his name in a forced whisper. His head snapped to see John, urgently waving him over.
“What’s up, John? We have to get over to our assignments.” Demarcus pointed toward the outdoor setup.
“I know, son. This is important. I’ve found more information that something sinister is transpiring. We don’t have much time, so let’s trade phone numbers so I can reach you later.”
Demarcus glanced back to where Harry and Sarah Jane had disappeared and pulled his cell. “Um, okay. Just message me your contact profile. That’ll be the fastest way to—”
“Confounded thing. The buttons on my phone are too close together.” John fumbled with an older flip phone that had seen better days. A crack distorted the screen and the rough edges revealed plenty of abuse. Demarcus stifled a chuckle at the sight of John playing with his phone. Wow, which one of these is older, John, or the phone?
“I’ll just punch my number in for you.”
He took the phone and tapped away. How did anyone live without a smartphone these days?
While Demarcus fiddled, John pulled out three items from his pocket—two round plastic containers with little patches in them and a small sensor device with a tiny LED screen. “You need to keep these safe. This one is a sensor to detect the amplifier around campus, and the others are some sort of Nullifier. Don’t let them out of your possession.”
Demarcus swapped gadgets with John and slipped the new items into a pocket in his cargo shorts. “Yeah, I’ll keep them. What is all this about? Oh, and we were supposed to meet with you after the party. Man, so sorry.”
John shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll explain later. I need you boys to keep your wits about you. Remember the old saying, ‘if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.’”
Before Demarcus could ask another question, two men dressed in black shorts, security shirts, sunglasses, and ball caps came up and bracketed John.
The shorter one on the right spoke first. “Sir, we need you to come with us. There’s a security concern we need to discuss with you.”
John held his hands out. “I can do that. First may I ask what the problem is, gentlemen?”
The guards didn’t wait to answer. They hooked him under his armpits. The taller one on the left said, “You have violated security protocol. You’re fired and your pass is revoked. If you cause any further problems, you will be turned over to the police with charges of trespassing.”
“May I speak to my manager? I believe there is a misunderstanding.”
“No. We have our orders from upper management.” The man turned to Demarcus. “Sorry, kid. We’re in a hurry.”
What on earth was happening? These guys were going to muscle John outta here? Demarcus grabbed the shorter one. “Wait a minute. You gotta take it easy with an old … I mean an elderly gentleman.”
The man grunted and shrugged him off. “Take care of him, will ya?”
The taller guard pulled out a device that looked like a key fob and pointed it at Demarcus.
Demarcus backed off a step with his arms raised. “Hey man. I don’t want any trouble.”
The guard jerked the fob up next to Demarcus’s temple. His body twitched, and a blanket of static fell over him.
What did he need to be doing? Oh, right. Time to get to his assignment.
Harry ran up to him, waving his hand in front of his face. “Are you there?”
Demarcus caught his arm. “Dude, you don’t need to do that. What’s the deal? Was I staring? Doesn’t matter, cause we’ve got to get over to the assignment place.”
“What’s going on? Why is John going off with those guys?”
John? That name rang a bell. His mind must be a little fuzzy from the partying last night. What was Harry talking about?
Before Harry could say any more, a couple of Launch staffers called to them. “You guys are the last ones. Come on over. Demarcus, you go to four. Harry is at five.”
They jogged over. Demarcus could tell Harry was confused about something, but he couldn’t figure out what the big deal was. Too bad they had to split up, although Demarcus would see him again tonight. “Dude, I’ll catch you later.”
Harry clasped his hand. “You bet. Hey, keep your eyes open. Something weird is going on.”
What was the big deal? Demarcus walked over to join his group, shoving his hands in his pockets on the way.
He pulled out three strange objects. Two plastic containers and a small scanner with an LED screen.
Where did these come from?
Chapter Thirty-Two
The cool grass tickled the sides of Lily’s feet as the blades rubbed across her sandals. The answers behind the Launch Conference and their invitations awaited them. Finally. She fingered the laser pointer in the pocket of her shorts. The little gadget that had helped reveal her powers would be her good luck charm today.
