THE 9 LIVES

‘Why did you do it?’

Jack swerved his head violently and slammed it into the headrest. He shrugged it off immediately and forced a smile at the camera screeching in his direction. A sort of “I’m not crazy” gesture. Guilt and shame were slowly pushing him into mental decline. He could only pout and press his face against the cold window glass while watching the landscapes swooshed by. The world was better than before, judging from the eradication of global warming and massive pollution reduction but it was also filled with too many scientific alters. The present year’s technology ranged from biotech implants to cloning trials. Biotech implants, also known as human advancements, were mainly possessed by the military, given to specially trained soldiers in the growing wars and major black-market dealers. The implants were supposedly irremovable and anyone caught with the implants in them was either detained or trained for war and the chances of any of them coming back home were low.

40-year-old, Jack Boris was on his way to Evergreen Park. He had an inexplicable zeal to carry out the strange task he had been given the day before.

Jack was having a nice dinner on the 22nd of February. A lonely Friday dinner. Despite being defamed due to the terrible acts he carried out several years ago, he still had a lot of friends and people who respected his works, including the despicable ones. Some saw his unruly methods as necessary. But he didn’t care. The lonely life he lived was punishment he deserved. He’d come back from his 8-hour job as an AI software programmer for the mall a few blocks away feeling the same way he did every day. Unfulfilled. Years ago, he worked side by side with the world government. Now, he was a maintenance guy. Jack arrived at his condo, descended from the hovering self-driving car with his takeaway, and unlocked the front door with a thumb scan. After locking the door and switching on the lights, he proceeded to the kitchen and put the food on a plate. Sliced fried chicken and plantains. His usual protein dish would allow him to succumb to sleep easily. Halfway through his food, the lights flickered continuously. Odd, but Jack was too engrossed in his thoughts to care. He pondered over what was twenty years ago and what was present. Back in his day, teenagers were ecstatic about getting their driving license but now there aren’t any steering wheels on vehicles. Tarred roads were now metal and everything hovered. To him, the past was better but the future was missing something.

Jack dug into his food and watched a TV show. It was a 2006 series that he’d downloaded. The recent shows people were making were torture for him. The ingenuity of people had died and AIs formulated shows instead of people. He was halfway through his meal when the display unit went off abruptly. Before Jack could react or fix whatever could have been the problem, a red-white beam, as large as his very centre table, emerged from the roof in the middle of the living room. Jack fell off the dining chair and backed away from the ominous light. He could have sworn he saw binary in the beam. Seconds later, the beam disappeared and he was staring at a skinny, aged, grey-bearded guy who unmistakably walked out of the beam.

The bearded man walked towards him while inspecting his abode. ‘I kinda missed this place.’

Jack was beyond startled or scared. He was absolutely terrified. He immediately stretched his hand towards the plate, and the fork on the plate swooshed off and landed in his palm. With all the little courage he was able to muster, he pointed the fork at the man before him and spoke. ‘Who are you and what in the world was that.’

The man pulled a chair from the table and placed it before Jack. Then he sat on the air which unbelievably seemed to support him. ‘Jack, please sit. You must listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you.’

Jack reluctantly sat down. The man continued. ‘The man you see before you is Jack Boris. I’m you from twelve years into the future. Time travel exists. Try and follow as quickly as you can.’

A terrified Jack nodded.

‘I travelled back to warn you and instruct you. A week and a day from now, nine teenagers will be in Gizmo Boulevard and you’re going to inject them with those implants in your safe.’

Jack proceeded to object. ‘Why in the world would I…’

‘Because they need it’, the man interrupted. ‘They need the implants. Else the world becomes void and hope will be finite. I know you wont understand what or why, but it’s necessary.’

Jack took a deep breath and his calm demeanour started to slip back into place. ‘If you’re me, you’d know I’m really…’

‘Curious? And if you’re the prodigy I was and still am, you’d know I can’t tell you anything.’

‘Time flux?’, Jack guessed.

‘In this case, yes’, Jack’s older self replied. ‘I have to be on my way. Minutes to come, I will be nabbed by the authorities. All you need to know is that these nine individuals are special, especially Darke. When they find you, teach them how to use their powers well. After you give them implants, leave a clue and head out to find the survivors from our cruel experiments.’

Jake looked shocked. ‘They’re still alive?!’

‘Yes. And they’ll be a threat in time to come. You must try and prevent such.’ Older Jack sighed heavily. ‘I must be on my way now. I’m sure you’ll do great. Better than I perhaps.’

Jack went cold. ‘That thing you said about a cycle. You weren’t kidding. You’ve been me before, literally.’

The old man smiled briefly and placed his pale hand in his pocket. Jack wondered how much his life was going to change after today and how he was going to end up like the man standing before him.

‘Goodbye.’

Jack watched as him from the future beamed away.

…THAT SAME DAY…

SUNDAY, SYCAMORE STREET, LANAJ

Darke:

“If this entry is looking concise to you, it’s because this is my nineteenth try at this journal writing thing. An early birthday gift from my Aunt Ada. A lot of things have happened and there are some things I cant just tell anyone but need to get off my chest. The journal seemed like the perfect option. I wouldn’t do this normally but today seemed like a good but terrifying day to start.

A Saturday hangout with eight friends. I didn’t even remember it was my birthday. Truth be told, I would have stayed in my bed all day if not for the scorching sun leaking through my bedroom windows. I had two missed calls from Danny and Aato the night before but I didn’t bother. They would tell me whatever they needed to tell me when I’d meet them later in the day. In the five months that we had been friends, traditions, and rules had been established for some absurd reasons. Throwing a birthday bash3 was one of these traditions.

I met the ‘Nine’ at G. A. Academy, our current school. Jake, Banks, Red, Aato, Angel, Danny, Angel, Baxe and Destiny.We’d been friends ever since the session started. I had given hope long ago of making friends. Who would dare befriend a fifteen-year-old guy with a black mask? After a year and a half, I was genuinely convinced that I’d never make a friend at G.A. But I was wrong. I made nine. And from then on, we were a crazy yet fun group that looked out for each other. They were my ultimate people and they were also bent on throwing me the world’s greatest birthday bash. I suppose I meant more to them than they did to me. I consider them the best people on the planet, but I would never tell them that. They’d think I’m all sappy on the inside.

I’ve practically spent most of my life in Lanaj, but I barely get to see the busy side or the UPSIDE as it was popularly called.

The busy side of the city harbored towering glass skyscrapers with bright hovering neon-road lights that only came on at night. Anyone who lived in the UPSIDE lived in apartments because that was the only kind of building people were allowed to construct. Most of the land space was used for workspaces, company buildings, and factories. Lanaj was a bustling metropolis, a place where people from all over the world came to live and work. On the coast of a beautiful ocean, it was a city of endless opportunity and endless possibilities. And despite being far off in the future, Lanaj was still a place of relevant past. People still drove cars, although many of them were electric or self-driving. They’d shop at stores, although many of these stores were now entirely automated and operated by robots. And we still went to school, although the way they did these things had changed significantly.

We met up around noon exactly. I showed up at the city park, and the eight of them jumped out from behind trees and screamed ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’. I was startled, not because of them but because of the many people staring at the scene. I wasn’t too awkward for much longer. Even as anti-social as I was, I couldn’t deny the day was awesome. The gaming hub, the AI chock lit Shoppe, and the short concert we raved in. Banks, as the aspiring influencer she was, recorded all the moments live for her adoring fans. Danny and Aato had eaten so much, they couldn’t walk normally again. Even after all the fun, I still felt in the zone, and there was one more thing I did have to do before it got late. VR lenses. Jedi, my little brother, broke mine, and gaming was impossible without them. I’d only mentioned it to Banks but she told everyone else and the rest of our hang turns into a shopping spree. All the lenses I saw weren’t exactly what I wanted, so we continued searching. A whole block with VR vendors but not one of them had the eccentric black and red lens. I’d given up, but the rest of them were still eager to get me my lenses. I would have objected to searching any further, but a strange man, probably in his late forties pulled up and said he over-heard we were looking for lenses. This was when everything fell apart. He invited us over to his stall. Said he had any color or mix of color. On the outside, it looked like a normal bungalow. Odd but well decorated though. For a small business, the man sure must have invested a lot into it. Red and Baxe were reluctant to go in. Something about the man being too sketchy. Of course, they all looked at me for the final decision since it was my birthday. I was eager to see what was in store and I needed those lenses. Until I got them, I couldn’t game at all, and the new edition of ‘Entropy’ just came out.

So, I said yes.

My first step into the place and I was disappointed. It looked nothing like what I expected for a gaming store. Then again, there was no sign of gaming equipment. My senses immediately tingled with dread. The next thing I knew, Danny dropped to the ground. Then Banks, then Aato until I was the only one remaining. I dropped too, but I remained conscious for a while with blurry vision and deterred hearing. The last I remember was him injecting blue radiant liquid into my arm.”

. . .

Darke left his journal sprawled open on his desk and entered his washroom, hoping to stimulate himself with faucet water. He stared aimlessly at the mirror in the bathroom thinking of how he could have been so stupid. The day before, he had woken up on his bed, completely oblivious to how he got home. His parents had gone for a seminar with Jedi, and Chary was out with friends. He was alone in his house and for some reason, it felt as if nothing ever happened. It felt like a dream but he knew it wasn’t. Then he noticed the sharp pain in his arm. Could be a scratch, he thought. He slapped himself with his wet hand and walked around his room while questioning himself about the events that occurred on Saturday. After a few minutes, his curiosity got the best of him. Darke grabbed his jacket and beanie and took off. He had to leave quickly though. Clouds were converging and the atmosphere was dimming. Rain.

After the strange experience, he thought, he would be on edge more, but something about treading into the unknown made him feel confident and calm like he could face anything. Darke took a taxi back to Lanaj, where the stall was, to see if he could discover anything at all. When he arrived, the doors were bolted shut and the inside was cleaned out, as expected, but luckily for him, he found a broken window. He slipped inside, only to find a curious Jake looking around. There was a display unit and a CD in front of him, but Darke guessed Jake was still trying to process everything and needed company. The whole scenario probably scared Jake more than it scared him. The display unit fizzed with pixels and soon enough, the video began to play. The duo couldn’t hear well, courtesy of the raindrops splattering on the window panes but they did their best to pay attention. The old man sat smugly in the low-quality video, behind a table with his hands clenched together. He didn’t want to acknowledge it but Darke couldn’t help but notice that there was a great deal of regret poised in the man’s facial expression despite him trying to look so intentional.

’...I dont know any of you. I never have and I might be right to say I never will. I wish I could even tell you why I gave them to you…but I suppose its for the greater good. I have come to believe however that all of you are unique and interesting people. Its part of the reason why I gave you implants. And not just any implants. The original ones. Far more reliable and useful than the retarded versions the government mass produces nowadays. I needed capable people to wield them. And all of you seem quite resourceful, especially the masked one. It’s important you understand they are not like others. The ones you possess are pure and void of flaws, is strengthened by will and emotion. I don’t mean to pressure you all but this power is inevitably important. Can’t let it fall into scummy hands, can we? Again, I’d have loved to meet in person and give more details, blueprints, and anatomy basics but in case you’re not the right people, the info is safe in my noggin. Stay hidden and use the implants wisely. P.S 00921....’

Darke frowned and regretted showing pity towards the old man as soon as the video ended. The old guy was prioritizing the implants over them as if they were just vessels. The though of having advanced human features excited them but at what cost? Responsibility?

Jake sighed and leaned on an obsidian-like wall. ‘Darke, how do we tell the others about this? I mean it’s pretty awesome that we kind of have powers now, but still, how do we tell the others? I’m particularly cool with it, but Baxe and Red warned us not to go and you...well...you agreed.’

Darke knew Jake was right. About the others. It was his fault. By now, most of them were putting two and two together and he feared they’d slaughter him the moment they met. It was legally a crime to wield implants and now some junkie has handed it over to them, because of him. The only friends he had would leave him because of a selfish old man. But he knew there was nothing he could do but own up to his mistakes and apologize. His heart ached and felt heavy. Why him?!

The two of them arrived back at their hideout. A large underground bunker the group used as their recreational area. It wasnt difficult convincing the other to come immediately for them to share their newfound discovery. Some of them already had weird experience earlier in the day similar to Darke.

Everyone apart from Jake and Darke was seated and watching the video. Jake made some hot sofress while Darke watched the others and their reactions. When the video ended, he was expecting someone to walk out of the door angry and another to punch him in the face. None of those things happened.

Aato pouted and let out a big “huh”.

Red laughed sarcastically and cursed. The others remained silent, seemingly processing the inconceivable news they had just received. Darke wanted to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness. He had ruined their lives. The weird masked kid finally lived up to his reputation and ended the lives of eight teenagers, himself excluded.

Tears welled up in his eyes and his throat became salty and squeaky. “Guys, I...”

Banks stood up abruptly and turned off the display unit.

’I’m gonna speak for everyone when I say this is crazy and we’re toast. I don’t understand half of what that weirdo said but we are not cut out for this. I mean...” Banks smiled awkwardly “This morning before we arrived here, Red broke her door, Danny cracked the wall with a mere punch and I broke my favorite phone just by tapping it furiously.”

Danny brushed his hair furiously and pimped his lips, as though he was trying his best not to scream. “My dad’s not gonna like this.”

Red frowned and turned to him. “He doesn’t have to know.” She proceeded to look at everyone of them. “No one has to know.”

Banks nodded in agreement. “These implants are a threat to us, yes, but that doesn’t mean it has to ruin our lives. We just keep things the way they were. Normal. When the time comes, we’ll let our parents know.”

Baxe moved from his puzzled state and sighed. “Why us though? This can’t be a coincidence, especially with the war...”

“...But we all know that it’s not going to bother us because we’re not stupid”, Aato interrupted.

Darke stood there, feeling like the worst kind of person. “Guys...”

“…and Darke, don’t feel bad just because it happened on your birthday”, Banks urged. “Things happen.”

A wave of tranquillity washed over Darke. He didn’t just become friends with them by chance. They were his people. His decision had endangered them all so casually yet they were not holding him responsible and quite contrarily devising ways to keep safe as a team. Darke nudged his mask, cleaning the tears that were beneath it. These eight goofy teenagers before him were family. But it was going to be different now. His mistakes, his priority. In the core of his mind, Darke would be ready to sacrifice himself for them if need be.

Destiny struck a pose atop the edge of the living room sofa. “I’m okay with being in certain doom. As long as it’s with you guys.”

Everyone moaned at her cringe attempt at an inspiring speech. Not Darke though. He smiled.