Overreach - 5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The creak of the closet door startled Elliot out of his fitful sleep. Sitting alone in the dark, he had listened to Lucas crying for a long while, but then didn’t know what to do after he heard him leave. The more he thought about the situation, the more he figured it would not be a good idea to just do whatever he wanted. So, he stayed put.

Light entered the small closet, and Elliot shielded his eyes. Once his eyes adjusted, he saw an exasperated and well worn-out blonde boy staring down at him.

“Dad’s gone with mom up to the --” he shook his head, then continued. “You wouldn’t understand that until I explain.” He sighed and offered his hand, which Elliot took, and then both went and sat down. Elliot sat in Lucas’ desk chair while the fairer boy sat on the bed.

Lucas sighed in another bout of exasperation, putting his head in his hands. Elliot was quiet, watching the other boy with guarded yet curious eyes.

Taking a chance, he blurted out, “Tell me what the fuck is going on.” Lucas snapped up from his hands and stared at Elliot, almost as if he didn’t know what was going on either. Elliot nearly scoffed. “Don’t look at me like that, dude. Am I in heaven? What is this place?”

Lucas laughed mirthlessly at Elliot’s invalid conjecture. “No, this is not heaven. For fuck’s sake, do you think domestic abuse would be tolerated?” Then, despite himself, he laughed for real. “If this is heaven, then fuck me.”

Elliot smiled slightly. “No, tell me. I’m looking around your room right now and see nothing familiar. Like that --” he pointed to Lucas’ telenode on the bedside table. “What is that?”

Lucas picked it up, looking at Elliot quizzically. “It’s a telenode. You guys don’t have these?”

“Um, no.” He paused, and then waved his hands in the air, dispelling the digression. “Did I time travel? Why was I in a light tunnel, or whatever the fuck that was? One minute I’m legit about to kill myself, and the next you’re talking to me. Dude. Explain.”

Lucas set the telenode back on the bedside table. He sighed, again. “No you didn’t time travel. That’s not possible.” He again paused, messing with his fingers nervously. “You… you were in a simulation.”

Elliot sat there as it registered, but he didn’t know what that meant. “What’s a… simulation?”

Lucas barely let the words sink in before he gave the other boy an incredulous look. “What? You know, like a computer simulation.”

“What’s a computer?” Elliot’s mind raced.

“Dear Lord,” Lucas muttered, standing, then pacing. “You don’t even know what a computer is? That’s real fucked up.”

“What? What are you talking about? Just spit it out!”

Lucas spun around and looked directly at Elliot, spitting out his sentences rapid-fire. “A computer is a technological device that can run numbers and ideas far quicker than any human possibly could. Inside this computer is a world in which people live, and you are a part of that world. I took you from it.” He paused, but went on quickly. “You don’t exist. Well, at one time you did. As a child. But your Government Boundary number was erased, or never issued, and you were sent in there.”

Elliot sat, his mind numb. He didn’t exist? That couldn’t be possible; jeeze, he was sitting right here. He watched his mom die for Christ’s sake. She didn’t exist either? “What about my mom? My dad? Are they really dead?”

Lucas had a hurt look in his eyes. “Yes, they are. This might not make sense for you, but I will try my best. Basically, all memories are altered inside the system when they add a new person. With quantum mechanics, since two possibilities are held side-by-side then--” he cut himself off. “Nevermind that. But yes. When you die in the simulation, you die. That’s it.” He paused. “Unless you’re taken out.”

“Taken out? So you’re telling me you took me out of there? I wanted to die, you sick fuck! Do you know what I’ve gone through?”

Lucas went to his desk, slightly moving Elliot out of his way, and fished a thick notebook out of his desk drawer. He held it up. “I do. Life moves at a faster pace in there… technically you’ve only been alive for a little over two months. In real life, that is.”

“Two months? What does that even mean?”

Lucas handed the notebook to Elliot, who thumbed through it to see notes about himself. Everything he had gone through in meticulous hand. Lucas went on. “In fact, look here.” He went over to his telenode and typed something into it. After a minute, he showed the screen to Elliot. “This is your official government birth record. Two months, seventeen days, six hours and twelve minutes ago. You were born to two Drainers who were then Released. They went to court to argue that you be saved, and so the best option you got was the Overreach.”

Elliot muttered in wonder, “Drainers… Released… Overreach? What does that even mean, dude?”

Lucas took back his telenode. “I’m sorry. I’m using terms you obviously don’t understand. Basically, the government controls our population. In order to have a more ‘streamlined’ society, as they say. When people don’t do their given tasks to keep society in its right working order, and do nothing, they are called ‘Drainers.’ If they continue to resist, or are unable to work, then they are humanely executed. And Overreach is what we call the technological system that your world is.”

“What the actual fuck? Why didn’t-- hold on. Just… holy fuck.” It took awhile for reality to set in for Elliot, but once it did he was paralysed. “My parents?”

“Your parents were already in the system when you went in. But the memories were altered and your father figure was sent elsewhere.”

“He’s alive?! I gotta go back and --” Elliot jumped up recklessly, but Lucas was faster. He held him back from leaving.

“Stop! Stop. You can’t go back in.”

“The fuck I can’t,” Elliot spat, resisting, but not necessarily wanting to hurt the cute blonde boy. “My father is alive. He’s just been somewhere else. I can go back in and find him!”

“No - no! You can’t, dude. Look, the only reason you were chosen to go into the Overreach at all was because you were a baby. With significant age, traveling between the two systems would wreak havoc on your body. At the molecular level. It’s a fuckin’ miracle that you even made it here. To put you through that again would be catastrophic.” He sighed.

Elliot was at a supreme loss. He didn’t know what to think, he didn’t know what to do. He just stood in the doorway while a concerned Lucas looked over him. His breathing started to get heavier and his vision turned red. The moment that Lucas noticed and started to back away, Elliot came in which a solid left hook that connected right at the side of Lucas’ head and sent him backwards. Knocked out cold.

That snapped Elliot out of his angered trance, and he realized he had hurt him. “Fuck fuck fuck,” he muttered, rapidly appearing at Lucas’ side. A huge bruise was forming where he had hit him, and his head was to the side. Now he really didn’t know what to do.

He grabbed a pillow and put it under Lucas’ head, and then cracked the door open. It was night, and the house was dark, but as he ventured into the hallway, soft lighting turned on as he walked. He had never seen such a nice house -- huge, too. He quietly made his way down the stairs, and into the family room.

It was set up nicely. All the furniture was immaculate. Plants inside the house, too, what a gag. The living room was bigger than his entire house. He figured now was the best time as any to snoop around.

He was in the kitchen, about to head for the basement when his legs were taken out from under him and his breath was knocked out. “You fuckin’ piece of shit!” He felt a blow to his gut and another to his head. “You fuckin’ punched me, you goddamn piece of garbage.”

Elliot pushed Lucas off of him, still swinging wildly. Lucas was irate, but rationally so. “Stop, Lucas!”

Lucas either didn’t hear him, or ignored him. He ran again at Elliot, but Elliot didn’t want to hurt him anymore, though he knew he could. He blocked Lucas’ first attempted punch, grabbed his wrist and automatically twisted until he heard a pop. Fuck.

Lucas screeched, slumping, and clutched his forearm. Elliot, beside himself, caught Lucas and made sure he hit the ground safely. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Elliot kept mumbling, trying to keep the situation from overwhelming him. He’d had a long day.

Lucas was still writhing, but was mostly just crying in sheer pain. Elliot got closer, pulling Lucas closer to him. “Let me take a look.”

“F-fuck you,” Lucas spat, but didn’t do anything to get away from Elliot’s near embrace. “Fuckin’ drainer scumbag. You’re all the same.”

That hurt, though he assumed he deserved it. “Stop fighting, Lucas. Let me look.” He saw that he had dislocated Lucas’ wrist. Oh, Jesus.

Lucas was sweating and whimpering in pain. Elliot sighed. “This is gonna hurt, ok? I have to put your wrist back in place.”
“My wrist?!” Lucas moaned, squirming. “Oh, God! Fuck, it hurts!”

“Are you ready? Count of three.”

“No, no! Stop, Elliot, stop. No!”

“1… 2…” Snap. Elliot winced at the near inhuman sound that came from Lucas. “...3.”

Elliot sat there with sweating, panting Lucas, and he genuinely had no idea what to do. Not like he knew fifteen minutes ago, either. After a few minutes, he spoke softly to the crying blonde boy. “Are you alright?”

“You think I’m fuckin’ alright?” Lucas mumbled, still hiccuping.

“I’m… I’m sorry, ok? I’m used to fighting just to survive back home. I just… you overwhelmed me.”

“I - uhg - I know. I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have told you so - ehg - much.” Elliot was still holding his wrist. That’s when Elliot broke down.

“Fuck… I hurt you. Goddamnit.” He was sobbing now. “I can’t understand any of this. I have no idea what’s happening to me. Everything I knew, apparently, was a fuckin’ big-ass lie.”

Lucas, though he had just been assaulted, and had assaulted Elliot, acquiesced. “I - I know. I’m sorry I’ve put you through all of this. But, I’d rather you be with me than what they were going to do to you.”

“What? What do you mean?”

Lucas sniffed, and looked up at Elliot. “That notebook in there -- that’s my dad’s. I stole it. They know all about you -- everything. And apparently you have some gene that’s never been discovered before. They -- they were going to take you out and experiment on you till you die.”

“And you couldn’t have told me this before?!” Elliot yelled.

Lucas winced, either from moving his wrist or because of Elliot. “I had to cover some ground, first,” he replied, dryly.

“What’s this gene? What’re we going to do?”

“I - I need to explain, but later. Mom and dad won’t be back for a few days. They have to meet - uhg - with the Directors. I got them in a fucking ton of trouble. We can stay here till we leave.”

Elliot continued to look at him questioningly. Leave for what?

“We’re going to Aladom. We’re going to the Drainers.”

Elliot couldn’t get any more out of Lucas after that, so he helped the poor kid back up the stairs. He wasn’t going to talk.

Once Elliot figured out where the bathroom was, he found some athletic tape and wrapped Lucas’ wrist with it. He was in better shape now, but still winced if he moved his wrist wrong.

“There,” he said, finishing up wrapping Lucas’ wrist while the slightly younger boy was in bed. Elliot paused as he was putting away the tape. “Where should I sleep? Not the closet, again, I hope.”

Lucas laughed in spite of himself. “Yeah,” he droned, sarcastically, “get in there!” Elliot was taken aback but recovered once Lucas continued. “I’m kidding. Just, fuck it, sleep with me. I don’t care, really.”

Elliot gawked. “Really? I mean, I’m sure I can sleep on the couch or something if --”

“No, quit it. Just, sleep with me. Please?”

The simple request, to Elliot, seemed like more of a plea, so he relented. “Fine.”

He didn’t have much in the way of pajamas, but he climbed in anyway. After a few minutes, he was out like a light.

* * *

Lucas heard screaming. He wasn’t sure if it was something from a dream or what, but once it woke him up more completely he realized that it was coming from beside him. He clamored up, pinching his wrist by the action, and was immediately at Elliot’s side.

“Elliot… Elliot!” He said, getting louder. Elliot was obviously asleep, but thrashing around in obvious terror. “Wake up!”

Elliot woke up and yelped, pushing Lucas roughly off of him in the process. “Fuck!” Breathing hard, Elliot got up and out of bed and paced desperately with his head in his hands. “Fuck!”

“What did you dream, Elliot?” Lucas said, watching Elliot pace back and forth with a concerned eye. The poor boy was whispering epithets under his stifled sobs, and nearly wore a hole in the floor pacing back and forth. “Dude.”

“None of your fuckin’ business,” Elliot whispered harshly, as if had he spoken aloud, something bad would’ve happened. Still breathing hard. “I couldn’t tell you anyway.”

“Yeah?” Lucas cocked his head thoughtfully. “And why’s that?”

Elliot moaned. “Just because! Fuck! Leave me alone.” Elliot walked unsteadily to the closet, and slid down the smooth surface to the floor. He put his arms over his bent knees and then put his head in his arms, sobbing softly.

He heard Lucas get up quietly, and make his way over. He felt a warm hand on his arm. “You don’t need to be alone, anymore, Elliot. I know about you - everything. And I know I can’t fully understand. I want you to help me.”

Elliot looked up and saw Lucas’ light hazel eyes staring back at him. Concerned. Tender. Whispering, so Lucas could barely hear him, “Everything?”

Lucas nodded softly, his golden hair falling slightly in front of his eyes. With that, Elliot couldn’t resist any longer, rose up, and pressed his lips against his.

Lucas’ eyes widened in surprise, but only for a second. He relaxed into the kiss, letting it happen and feeling all the jittery emotions come to the surface again as it had for the last few nights. When they parted, he was breathless.

Elliot looked abashed, however. “I’ve wanted to do that since I saw you,” he whispered, craving approval from his counterpart. He hung his head. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no,” Lucas said, softly. He gave a small smile. “No need to apologize.” He sighed, drawing back from Elliot who shot him a slightly confused look.

“You’re okay with… well, this?” Elliot gestured between them, implying their kiss. He shook his head, “Not that I’m complaining. It’s just… you feel the same way?”

Lucas sighed heavier this time, and moved to sit back on the bed. Elliot followed and sat next to him. In an unusual gesture, Lucas grabbed Elliot’s hand between his own. “My whole life, I’ve been alone,” he started, quietly. “Father was almost normal when I was younger. Mother, too. But Father got to be some bigwig for the Government, and was then asked to do specific - and secret - projects for them. He kept his study and the basement locked at all times, starting when I was ten. Mother just seemed to… give up. She went to live with her parents in Nova for a year a while ago, and when she returned she was just… bland.”

“What do you mean?”

Lucas had trouble continuing, biting back tears. “I… Mother used me. I mean, she had other women come over and… you know.” He hung his head as teardrops fell onto their clasped hands. “That’s when I felt the most alone. Not only did one parent not care for me, but the other was just using me for status and money. They knew who I was, but they didn’t care.”

“Lucas…” Elliot’s tone made the other boy look up slightly. “Your mother… what? What did the other women want?”

Lucas chuckled mirthlessly. “They wanted me. That was the way that Mother was getting back at father. Using our status and reputation to pawn me to lonely women whose only job it was, was to make kids.”

“What… do you mean?”

Lucas shook his head. “In our world, mating is through a lottery. And only when you’re 30. Before that, you’re not even allowed to be alone with the opposite sex.” He looked up that then smiled cattishly. “It was a good thing I wasn’t too interested in that.” He sighed. “But these women were… deprived. It was a black market sort of deal… untraceable.”

“Fuck, Luc. Why didn’t you go to the police?”

“You don’t understand, dude. I’m upper class - even in this world. We operate under different conditions. The police would’ve been no help. Mother would’ve just contacted the right people and would’ve made it go away.” A pause. “If they know I’m gay, I will be killed.”

Elliot reacted with a mixture of supreme confusion and rage. “What?! Why?”

Lucas smiled ruefully. “No prospect of bearing children.”