The Individuality Gene Read online

  We shake our heads.

  By protecting the child, we willn’t just allow evolution to play out as intended, but we will keep the humans from agreeing to the mining. Once the five-year deadline is up and the treaty remains unsigned, the Ros’tal Corporation will have no choice but to abandon its mining operation.

  Finally, some good news.

  “What’s to stop the Ros’tal Corporation from killing the humans?” asks Jonn. “From what you told us, they’re not above murder.”

  You’re right, but such a massacre would eventually be uncovered. Should that happen, the Kra’lors would rise up, and the Ros’tal Corporation would lose all control.

  No one speaks for a while. We’re all wondering if saving the humans and keeping the past from being altered is as simple as stopping Avalon. But only time will tell. In the meantime, we must gather as much information as possible.

  “Tell us about the drug,” urges Kara. “What does it do?”

  It keeps the humans submissive, but it only remains within their system for a short time.

  “Is that why the drones are constantly scanning people?”

  R’ha nods. Yellow means the compliance serum is present in sufficient quantities to keep them passive. Orange signifies the levels are getting low. Red indicates no traces of the drug were found, which is a sign of immunity.

  “Is that why the drones tried to kill us?” I ask.

  R’ha nods.

  Things are finally starting to make sense. Of course, there’s much I still don’t understand, but I feel confident our plan will succeed. All we need to do it wait for Avalon to make her move.

  Sounds simple enough, I think. Then again, when have things ever been simple?

  Memory 10

  W hat’s wrong?” I ask my girlfriend.

  We sit by the window, staring out at the dark city. The once busy streets have grown quiet and only the occasional drone floating by interrupts the serenity of the night. Well, that and Jonn’s snoring.

  After reviewing the plan one final time, we agreed to take turns watching the woman’s house. Kara and I volunteered to take the first shift, while Jonn retired to the dwelling’s only bedroom. As for R’ha, he went home to be with his family.

  I thought spending time with my girlfriend would be fun. I was wrong.

  “I’m fine,” says Kara. It’s the third time she’s uttered those words, yet I remain unconvinced.

  “Come on,” I insist. “You haven’t said a word in nearly an hour. Something has to be wrong.”

  She sighs.

  “Please don’t do this.”

  “Do what?” I try to take her hand, but she pulls away. “Did I do something wrong?”

  It takes a while before she responds.

  “It’s not you.”

  What’s that supposed to mean?

  “Is it you?” I ask.

  She shakes her head.

  “Then who is it?”

  Another long silence.

  “Avalon.”

  Great. Now I’m even more confused. I consider insisting, but I know that will only make things worse, so I lean in to kiss her, hoping the loving gesture will soothe her.

  It doesn’t.

  She pulls away.

  That’s the last straw. I tried being sensitive and caring. I tried being loving and supportive. There’s only one thing left for me to try.

  “What the hell is going on?” I snap. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Please,” she begs. “Don’t make me do this.”

  “Do what?”

  Kara’s lower lip quivers, and I realize she’s about to cry.

  “This,” she whispers as she presses her lips to mine.

  In all the time we’ve been together, never before has she kissed so fiercely.

  “Wow!” I gasp once her lips retreat. “What was that for?”

  She remains silent for a moment.

  “We can’t be a couple.”

  “E-excuse me?”

  Kara looks away.

  “We have to break up.”

  The statement hits me like a punch to the gut.

  “Don’t you love me?”

  My hurt comment draws her eyes back to me. Ironically, I can no longer bear to look at her.

  “Of course I do. I always have, and I always will.”

  I focus on her eyes. I expect to find them drowning in tears, but all I see is love.

  “I… I don’t understand. Why can’t we—”

  She cuts me off.

  “Avalon. She could use our love against us.”

  “But—”

  “It’s too risky. We can’t be together as long as she’s still out there.”

  I take a moment to process what I just learned.

  “I love you,” I say, “and that won’t change even if we break up.”

  “It doesn’t matter. It’s too risky. We need to focus on the mission. We can be together when Avalon is no longer a threat.”

  I want to insist, but I know it’s pointless. Silence settles upon us and remains until I can no longer bear it.

  “Can you handle the rest of the shift on your own?” I ask.

  Kara nods.

  I remove my ring and hand it to her. The proximity alarm will warn her if Avalon tries using the cover of night to sneak into the woman’s home.

  I glance at my former girlfriend one last time then head toward the bedroom. There are two beds, one of which is occupied. I slip beneath the covers and let the pain and anger wash over me. Jonn’s powerful snores drown out the sound of my sobs, allowing me to let my emotions run their course. The tears eventually cease, and the exhaustion of the day catches up to me. I drift off to sleep.

  Memory 11

  I awake to a broken heart and tear-stained cheeks. The recent breakup is all I can think about. I consider hiding beneath the covers and letting death take me, but it won’t help.

  I sit and look around. Jonn is gone. In his place lies Kara. She’s asleep, but I can see she’s restless by the way she tosses and turns. I consider waking her, but that would be selfish.

  I can do one of two things. I can be resentful and childish, or I can use the sadness and anger as fuel.

  I choose the latter.

  I will take down Avalon, no matter the cost. I still look forward to the day where I will get to return to my own time and meet my mother, but it’s no longer my chief concern.

  Now imbued with a renewed sense of purpose, I stand and tiptoe out of the room. One look at the dwelling’s main living area tells me Jonn and R’ha are still on shift. They sit by the window, silent and unmoving.

  “Hey, guys,” I say as I approach. My voice is hoarse, no doubt a result of all the crying.

  Jonn and R’ha turn to look at me.

  “What happened to you?” asks Jonn. “You look like crap.”

  I’m in no mood to argue, so I retaliate with force.

  “You’re one to talk. You look like a fish that’s been left in the sun for three weeks.”

  While the comparison isn’t entirely accurate, the grey-haired soldier does look like he’s had a rough night. His eyes are bloodshot, and stress-induced wrinkles riddle his forehead.

  Jonn stares at me for a while before bursting out laughing.

  “Good one.”

  I can’t believe it. Did Jonn just laugh at something I said? It seems impossible, but I guess even badass soldiers need to cut loose every once in a while.

  “How long before your shift is over?” I ask.

  “About an hour. Why?”

  “I’m already up. Do you want me to replace you?”

  Jonn considers my proposal for a moment before nodding.

  “All right.” He stands, hands me my ring, and heads toward the bedroom. “Thanks.”

  First, he laughs at something I said, and then he thanks me. Wow! He must be exhausted. Either that or he’s finally snapped.

  Your friend is very focused, says R’ha once we’re alone.


  “How so?” I ask as I slide the ring onto my finger and take a seat in the empty chair.

  He spent the entire shift staring at the woman’s door.

  That explains the red eyes and the high level of exhaustion, but not the uncharacteristic kindness. I guess he was just tired.

  We sit in silence for a while before the memory of the breakup fills my mind.

  “Your ability to disappear is impressive,” I tell R’ha, desperate for a distraction.

  That’s very kind of you to say, but I don’t actually disappear.

  “You don’t?”

  He shakes his head.

  It’s called shimmering.

  “How does it work?”

  My scales vibrate, causing them to become invisible.

  “But I thought—”

  My body disappears, but the heat generated by the movement of the scales causes the air to shimmer.

  “Can you show me?”

  R’ha nods.

  The scales that coat his body start moving back and forth. The process is slow at first but quickens with each passing second. Soon, they’re moving so fast I can barely see them. Then, in the blink of an eye, R’ha vanishes. All that remains is a slight shimmer.

  I reach out, and my hand hits something hard. I feel around and realize the vibrating scales have formed an impenetrable wall around my short friend.

  “That’s so cool.”

  The shimmering ceases, and R’ha reappears. He looks upset.

  “What’s wrong?”

  It’s nothing, he says, but I can tell it’s a lie.

  “Please,” I insist.

  R’ha nods.

  Very well. As I mentioned yesterday, Kra’lors are strong of mind, but weak of body. Our shimmering ability is linked to heat. When it’s hot, our scales heat up, allowing us to disappear without even trying. When it’s tepid, we can choose whether or not we are visible. When it’s cold, our scales freeze up, and we lose the ability to shimmer.

  “What happens when it freezes?” I ask.

  R’ha cringes.

  Our bodies aren’t designed to handle cold. Our blood freezes as soon as temperatures drop below freezing. We die within seconds.

  That explains his aversion to cold-related words such as “cool.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say.

  You had no way of knowing.

  There’s a moment of silence during which I make a mental note never to offer my new friend a popsicle.

  Your friend, says R’ha. Who was he?

  I hesitate. Should I tell him the truth? What if he doesn’t believe me? Or worse, what if he does? I’ve only just met him. For all I know, he’s working with Avalon. Such a thing seems unlikely as my older self vouched for him, but I’m not willing to take the risk.

  Is he your brother? asks R’ha, offering the perfect explanation.

  I nod.

  You’re both called Will?

  Uh-oh. I hadn’t thought of that.

  I’m debating how to proceed when I notice something has changed. It takes a while, but I finally identify it. Across the street, a front door stands wide open. That can only mean one thing.

  Avalon is here.

  Memory 12

  I stare at the open door in disbelief. How could this have happened? Why didn’t my ring’s proximity alarm go off? It doesn’t matter. Time is short, and every second wasted is a second lost.

  I leap to my feet, knocking the chair over in the process.

  R’ha stares at me, perplexed.

  What’s wrong?

  “Avalon is here,” I say, pointing at the open door. “Go wake my friends, and tell them what’s going on.”

  What about you?

  “I’ll take care of Avalon.”

  R’ha hesitates for a moment before rushing off. I do the same but head in the opposite direction. I burst through the door and tumble into the cool morning air. I nearly trip on a loose cobblestone, but I manage to remain upright. Pumping my legs for all they’ve got, I rush toward the open doorway and dive into it.

  The inside of the dwelling is dark, and it takes my eyes a moment to adjust. I scan my surroundings as soon as they do, but there’s no sign of Avalon or the woman she’s here to murder.

  Where are they?

  A high-pitched shriek floats down from the second floor.

  Of course, I think as I rush toward the staircase. It’s early. The woman must still be in bed.

  I take the steps three at a time and reach the second floor in record time. I barrel down the narrow corridor, knocking down door after door and peering inside. It’s not until I reach the last room that I finally find what I’m looking for.

  The woman lies on the floor in a mess of twisted covers and dishevelled hair. Her frail arms are wrapped around her abdomen, protecting the child that slumbers within. Standing above her is a man. He’s short and stout. His beard is bushy and knotted. His arms are raised, a knife clenched in his gnarly fingers.

  It takes me a moment to realize the man is Avalon. She must have replicated someone’s appearance in order to pass unnoticed.

  “Please,” begs the woman. “Don’t hurt me.”

  “I’m not here for you,” growls Avalon, her voice deep and guttural. “I’m after the child.”

  The woman whimpers and scurries back, only to end up trapped between the bed and the wall. Avalon advances, knife poised to strike.

  I can’t let the child die. I rush forward and tackle Avalon moments before she plunges the dagger into the woman’s stomach. The impact knocks the air from my lungs and sends us tumbling. The clatter of metal against stone tells me Avalon dropped her knife. That’s good because the impact has disoriented me, and I’m not sure how much use I am now.

  Avalon recovers first and pins me to the ground. I struggle, but the weight of her frame keeps me from moving. The men of this time may be short, but they’re heavy and powerful. That last part becomes painfully obvious when Avalon punches me.

  The impact nearly knocks me out. By the time I recover, the situation has changed quite drastically.

  Avalon is back on her feet, knife in hand. She stands over the cowering woman, poised to strike. I want to help, but I can’t. There’s no way I can reach her in time. All I can do is lie there and watch as Avalon kills the woman I vowed to protect.

  Memory 13

  I failed.

  I watch, powerless, as the knife draws closer to the woman’s stomach. She tries shielding her child from the incoming blade, but skin and bones are no match for the cold bite of steel. It’s only a matter of time before it digs into the unborn child, and when it does, the past will be forever altered.

  I look away just as the tip of the knife reaches its target. I expect to hear a pained shriek, but the strangled outburst that reaches my ears is far too guttural to belong to a woman. I don’t understand what’s happening until I focus on the peculiar scene unfolding before me.

  Avalon is flying through the air, struggling to free herself from the grip of a massive man with bloodshot eyes. Jonn’s bulging muscles form a vice-like trap, keeping Avalon from escaping. His grip doesn’t loosen until both he and his prisoner crash into a dresser. But even so, he remains in complete control. Keeping his enemy pinned with one arm, he cocks the other and knocks her out with a single punch.

  It all happens so fast I don’t get a chance to grasp the implications of Jonn’s timely arrival. It’s not until I focus on the woman and notice she’s unharmed that I allow myself to believe it’s finally over.

  We did it. The woman is safe, and so is her child. Avalon is out of commission. But all I care about is the fact that Kara and I can be a couple again.

  The echo of approaching footsteps snaps me back to reality. I focus on the doorway just as Kara burst through it. She’s dishevelled and only half-dressed, but she’s more beautiful than ever. I want nothing more than to run to her side and throw my arms around her, but I know now isn’t the time for such things.

  “What happened?�
�� she asks as she takes in the peculiar scene. The woman, rocking back and forth and sobbing. Avalon, lying unconscious among the shattered remains of a dresser. Jonn, breathing heavily as his eyes dart around the room, no doubt searching for an imminent source of danger. I make up the final piece of the strange décor, but Kara only allows me a momentary glance.

  Kara rushes to the woman’s side.

  “It’s all right,” she says. “It’s over.”

  The woman keeps sobbing.

  “He tried to kill my baby,” she blubbers. “Why?”

  Kara does her best to comfort her.

  “There’s nothing to fear. You’re safe.”

  It takes a while, but the terrorized mother eventually calms down. By then, Jonn has taken the initiative of retrieving the discarded knife and tucking it into his belt. He has also bound Avalon’s wrists using one of the garments that once filled the now shattered dresser.

  “We should get out of here,” he says.

  Kara nods.

  “Will you be all right?” she asks the woman.

  “I think so. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Kara joins her father, and together, they lift Avalon and carry her out of the room. I feel as though I should be helping, but they seem to be managing quite well without me. I give the woman an apologetic smile and follow my friends.

  R’ha is waiting downstairs.

  What happened? he asks. Who is that? he adds when he notices Avalon.

  “It’s the assassin,” I say.

  I thought she would be a woman.

  “She is,” I say, but immediately realize how ridiculous that must sound. “It’s complicated.”

  R’ha doesn’t insist. He follows us to our temporary dwelling and seals the door.

  “Get me a chair,” says Jonn.

  I grab one and hand it over. He takes it, places it at the center of the room, and with Kara’s help, sits Avalon’s unconscious body atop it. He then goes about shackling her to it using the same garments he used to tie her wrists.

  “What now?” I ask.

  “We should get her back to Atlantis before she wakes up,” says Jonn.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” says Kara.