Owned

Looming before me in the courtyard was an eight foot tall figure of pure Sygran, a deep green stone which carried substantial value universe-wide. Its surface was smooth, almost reflective – save the darkened folds of cloak which had been so painstakingly carved. Dark leaves danced upon its base like shadows, carried by the fickle mind of my brother. I smiled indulgently at his games - strengthening his telekinetic powers could only work in our favor.

It was before this very statue that I had first been told the past, when I was but a child. A mixture of pride and sorrow welled in me at the thought. All I could do was be glad my brother would have the same chance. All I could do was place my hopes in this playful boy – our savior. A flutter of a smile passed my lips, gone again before I turned back to crouch beside him.

He kneeled on the stone, gaze fixed on the reeling leaves. Wind rose, competing with him for control. The leaves stayed static for a time, caught between two great powers – only shivers of movement to suggest they were not a still image.

Beads of sweat formed on my brother’s young face, dripping onto his ragged garments.

“You know it tires your powers out to do that.” I mused aloud, raising my eyebrows at his determination. “Sorry to break it to you, but no-one can beat nature, kiddo.”

He turned his head, opening his mouth for a retort when each and every leaf flew into his face, brushing him as they passed. His eyes opened wide in indignation just as his little fists pounded the ground.

“What’d ya talk for - I had ‘em that time!”

I laughed, reaching over to ruffle his wispy hair. Skinny arms batted at me as he struggled away, squirming and squealing on the stone ground. A light cough sounded between his squeals. I froze. Below me, my brother darted a worried glance at me, unsure what was happening. But I wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. Who would be here, now? Cold dread seeped into me. Was it a Watcher? Had they found out? I motioned for my brother to stay still and silent. Muscles rigid, I forced myself to turn.

A child. Relief pushed out the adrenaline still racing in my system. I saw a child’s arm pointing at the statue. Yet the feeling of unease did not wholly leave – there was something off about this girl. Innocent eyes, silk clothes… ah, there it was! The silver collar, clasped on her pale flesh. One of the Owned. Shock spiraled through me, only to be eclipsed by the anger that began to heat my eyes. Why would one of them be here? Her hands dropped to her front, twining together, as though she sensed my rage.

“Who’s the statue?” The soft, hesitant whisper drew my attention back to her face. My brow wrinkled as I considered her. An Owned, yes, but she had chosen to ask about something worth knowing, something harmless. Not such a crime, really. Closing my eyes, I attempted to even out my emotions. When I opened them, she still stared at me, a half-smile on her small face.

“Michael Ranger. He was a visionary. Without him, you would not be as you are today.” I kept my voice even, enjoying the surprise on the child’s face. When was the last time her curiosity had been sated? As her brows drew down in concentration, I heaved a mental sigh. Apparently, it still hadn’t.

“Well? What else do you want to know? Out with it, Owned.” The words seemed to reach her, as she was suddenly brimming with questions.

“How did he do it? How did he save us? Where did he go, why do you have a statue of him-”

My brother’s lilting voice interrupted. “You’re pretty stupid, aren’t cha? Didn’t you go to no lessons?” I whipped my head around, mouth open, but too late. His words were out. My heartbeat rose in my throat. I desperately tried to remain calm. They probably weren’t even listening. I mean, there weren’t enough of them to be listening to everything, all the time. And what if they were? He was a normal child, to them. A normal – slightly too knowledgable - child, that was all. But my heartbeat never slowed.

“His brother got the lessons, back when. And you know how brothers are, sharing secrets and tales.” I sounded calm. Barely a hint of hysteria. Good.

Her confused gaze and wrinkled nose showed she did not, in fact, ‘know how brothers were’.

“Umm… ok.” She said in her high, light voice.

Seconds passed. Nothing happened. No attack, nothing. I felt a blush creep into my cheeks, and ducked my head in embarrassment. I was worrying over nothing. They hadn’t found out. This meeting was co-incidence and nothing more.

It was then, that moment. I’m sure of it.

The moment fate solidified and no choice made could change it.

For that was the moment I saw a single leaf hover above the ground.

And more importantly, so did she.

Don’t let them be listening, don’t let them be watching. Please, Lord, save your child!

My prayers were in vain. A wrenching sound came from where the girl stood, like bones snapping out of place.

With a gasp, I fell to my knees before her. My eyes were immediately drawn to her hands, held in check at her sides. They had warped, twisting like bark on an old tree. It was an unmistakable sign of possession. Her nervous curiosity was replaced with a confidence and presence no child could command.

"The boy is ours. And he is spoilt." A disemodied voice accused.

“Please… he hasn’t had many of the lessons! You can still take him. Just take him, please - I won't stop you. He would never hurt anyone!” My brother looked on in confusion.

“We’ll see.”

As I began to gather my scattered thoughts, preparing another argument, my brother’s shrill scream cut the air. Muscles tensed, I tried to turn, but the air was thick as metal! I couldn’t see him and he was screaming, screaming, screaming and… silence. The pressure around me dispersed, leaving me a fallen heap on the ground. As I lifted my head, the dead eyes of my baby brother stared back. It seemed like an eternity I stared at him.

“Why?” My broken whisper emerged to weigh on the surrounding air.

“He was spoilt. We cannot allow a spoilt to live. By the word of Michael Ranger, so it is done.” I barely registered as the innocent girl was returned to herself, spluttering and staring at the morbid scene before her eyes. My baby brother was dead. The hope that had shone before my family as we had pushed him to learn the lessons, ignoring the laws and mantras of Michael Ranger… and he was dead. Gone. Forever. Hot lines traveled down my face and I keened, on my knees, head thrown back to expose my neck to the heavens. The young girl’s spluttering stopped as she watched me grieve.

Reverently, I gathered the young corpse into my arms, rocking with it back and forth. Shadows grew longer as my tears dried into the stillness of deep depression. Everything felt numb.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” I barely recognized my own voice. The girl was knelt beside me, her small hand hovering in the air near my shoulder. She opened her mouth twice before gaining the courage to speak.

“I shouldn’t have come here. I mean, I didn’t mean it, I’d heard that no-one came here anymore, not even the Protectors, and I…" She choked on the words, breathing harshly, "I’m so sorry. Really, really, I am – cause it was me, wasn’t it? They acted through me.” Her voice was dead by the last, low and sure and sad.

She shook her head, tears spilling forth, and muttered, “I just wanted to know.”

The sound of crunching leaves pricked my ears as she turned, hunched over, away from me. Leaving behind the mess she had created. My brother would live if not for her! If not for her need to know the answers… my brother died so she could know those answers!

“Stop!” I shouted, gripping her small arm. “You wanted answers, didn’t you? That is why you came here – speaking as if we were equals, as if you weren’t the direct property of the Lord of the Heavens! You couldn’t just be better, have all the power, could you? You needed the one thing we have that you, Owned, are never meant to have: knowledge. As if it was such a prize. Well, you’ll get it. Sit.” She curled in upon herself as I threw her to the ground, planting myself in front of her fragile form. Weighted brown eyes stared up at me. With a shudder, she whispered:

“Michelle. My name is Michelle.”

I started at the broken whisper, so like my own. But I would not falter. I would not let my brother have died in vain. Settling upon the nearby bench, I began the story of Earth II’s past, eyes hard and unyielding as they settled upon ‘Michelle’.

“Forty years ago, the Lord of the Heavens first started entrusting our people with psychic abilities. Mind readers, empaths, telekinetics…” My voice broke, but I forced myself to go on, “a whole range of powers. Trouble was, it was random. Some of the ones chosen to be his Owned were broken people with broken minds. Add to that the kind of power… it was bad. Even the ones who had seemed sane went crazy with the power. They read, learnt, questioned and whenever they found anything not to their liking, all their power went towards ‘fixing’ it. They were tricky; the mind-readers spilled the wrong secrets until the only ones in government were the ones they wanted. Empaths forced people into comas of guilt and grief. All in the name of a better world.” I took a deep breath, watching Michelle for her reactions. She was white, shivering, transfixed by the words. Just like every non-Owned child on their eighth birthday. Just like my brother would have been. No child could hear this and not turn white, yet none plugged their ears. This kind of knowledge was holding; it changed you.

“Two years into it all, this city was barely holding together. At the time, Michael Ranger was at school; 17 years old. That was when he changed the world. He himself was an Owned – his ability was to change the memories of anyone he wanted. He had watched as Owned after Owned studied, learnt and used that knowledge to destroy. There was no help coming. Other cities had similar problems and the quarantine protocols were activated; as of today we have still had no contact with other cities. But he saw where the Owned’s true ability came from. Not the Lord of the Heavens, but through knowledge. They learnt of systems so they could destroy them. Like all Owned, he saw a problem and he fixed it. He shared his plan only with a select few, who would put it into place. The Watchers.”

“Are they-”

“Yes. The ones who acted through you. Your 'Protectors'." I didn't bother to keep the bitterness from my voice.

"Michael Ranger wiped the minds of every Owned in this city, rendering them innocent as children. The effort killed him. The watchers did as they were bid, rounding up the dazed Owned, putting them in tracking collars and taking them to the Society. That’s right, Michelle, your home. It has been the home of the Owned ever since. Doesn’t seem like a bad place, huh? They treat you right, of course. They don’t have powers and would be overthrown if you were to rebel. So you live lives of luxury,” I couldn’t quite help the anger that entered my voice, “and we, who already are not granted the gift of powers, must provide for you. The only thing you are not given is knowledge. With you ignorant, the Watchers are in control. There’s a chip in your head, Michelle, that lets them see, hear and feel what you see, hear and feel. Lets them temporarily take you over as they did today; they had to do it quickly, they can’t be in your mind more than a few minutes at a time, but… well, it was enough, wasn’t it?”

“You are the ones born with powers, you are the ones living in luxury, yet you have no power. For you have no knowledge. That is what Michael Ranger did. That is why his statue sits here, so we never forget the importance of keeping you in the dark.” As I stared into her soulful eyes, brimming with tears, my voice lowered.

“But I didn’t want my brother in the dark. So we hid him. This wasn't some stupid idealogy, Michelle, we needed him."

Could she understand? Could this child understand what Michael had not? I lowered my head, sorting my thoughts. Michelle didn't move an inch.

"We were going to train him, make sure he had morals and would use his powers for good and then… we just wanted him to help us. It’s hard, our lives. We have to provide for us and for you lot – there just aren't enough resources, enough time. He was our way out. But that selfishness got him killed. Michelle, I don’t want anyone dead. But I want people free and happy. Michael was wrong. This isn’t the solution… it can’t be.”

Michelle was standing so still. Even as I finished the story she made no move, like a frightened animal. Frozen in knowledge.

I tilted my head, unable to keep my eyes off my dead brother behind this girl.

“Is that what you wanted, Michelle? You have your answers now. What’re you going to do with them, huh? What’s your ability?” The direct question snapped her from her haze. She looked at me with sad eyes as she replied.

“I feel what other’s are feeling. I can’t control it. I felt your grief as your brother died.” Her voice was strangely empty, ringing in my ears as their meaning struck home. Guilt overwhelmed me. Not only had I gotten my brother killed, I had subjected a young, innocent girl to…

“Stop it! Stop feeling that way, I hate it!” Michelle’s control broke. She was half-crazed, whirling on me, screaming at me! She never heard them coming over her own screams. A shot rang out simultaneously to the blood spreading on her chest. Dazed and terrified, I raised my arms in surrender. There was a time where the Watcher simply looked at me, both of us still.

His gun never lowered as he backed out the courtyard - leaving me standing between the corpses of two young children. The corpses of a stranger and a brother. Of a girl inflamed with curiosity and a boy fired with purpose. Between the corpses of two Owned.