Too weak to struggle, too tired to try, you relax as the grip on your legs becomes firmer.
You prepare yourself for the worst, wondering as all do in those last moments if anything you say or do now will make up for the things you've said and done before. Knowing that nothing will.
But then the electricity that is beginning to become familiar engulfs you and, as it clears, blessed air floods into your lungs. For several moments you lie retching and coughing water from your lungs. Gradually you become aware of another person beside you doing the same.
"Adam? Are you okay?" A young black woman is squatting by the tall brown haired youth, holding his shoulders. Another person is doing the same for you, you realise and you look up into the eyes of a blond haired girl a couple of years younger than you are. Jade, you mouth the name before you are aware of doing so and she nods, smiling a worried smile.
"I'm okay." Adam assures the other girl, Ami. "He was too tired and traumatised to swim. I almost couldn't dive deep enough to pull him out of the current." He looks up and meets your eyes. "Jay, are you ready to listen to an explanation now?"
Somewhat chagrined, you nod. You just want to know, finally, what all this has been about. Adam takes a deep breath as the girls help you both to sit and wrap dry blankets around your shoulders.
"There are scientists who believe that all life began simply, that we started as apes and have become human over time. They think that as years have gone by we've become more intelligent and more highly adapted."
You shrug, feeling frustrated.
"Evolution. So what, Adam? You've not told me anything I couldn't have learnt at school. We started out as apes and became Homo sapiens."
"But why," And this time it was the young woman Ami who spoke, "Should evolution stop there? Why should evolution stop at Homo sapiens?"
"That's what we are, Jay." Adam says simply. "We're the next stage in human evolution - Tomorrow People." Your expression becomes fixed. This is too crazy for words, you think. Then you hear Adam speaking in your head. [But we don't need words, do we Jay?]
You look up sharply, a little scared by the indescribable feeling of another mind touching yours. Adam's expression remains calm and his lips stay still as he speaks.
[We can do things other people cant do, Jay. We have gifts, 'powers' if you like. Telepathy is one of them, teleporting is another. When you teleported it released your gifts - you broke out, became one of us. It should have happened a few weeks ago but something stopped you from breaking out and we've been hearing you ever since. We could feel the pain you were in. We wanted to help you break out. That's why I asked Kevin to bring you here.]
For the first time the calm in Adam's face gives way to concern.
"And now Kevin is in trouble." The younger girl, Jade, finishes for him. "Those men in suits. They've been hanging around for weeks now, near Megabyte's place and my Mum's. And every time we were close to tracking Jay down we were there."
"Jade's right, Adam." It's the first time you hear this new voice and you turn quickly to face it's owner as he steps away from the wall. Megabyte is tall and red headed. There's a look of determination in his blue eyes and his arms are folded across his chest. "These goons know who we are and where to find us." The fierce blue eyes sweep across you and you feel as if every millimetre of you has passed through a microscope. Without meaning to, you pick up on Megabyte's anxiety for his friend. "And I'll bet they have something to do with Jay not breaking out properly. He could have been killed!"
Adam looks around, searching for an idea. His eyes fix on you and suddenly there is a look of hope deep within them.
[Let's mind merge.] He's speaking in your head again and you still cant decide whether it feels good or just creepy. [We've all seen the men in suits hanging around and Jay saw the ones who took Kevin. In mind merge we should be able to get a number plate or something.]
[Is that a good idea?] Ami asks and this time she too is speaking in your head. [Jay still looks pretty shaky.]
[I feel fine.] You tell them, surprised to find that it's true. [Since I teleported the pain's just gone away. I guess I really have 'broken out'.] You frown, remembering the way Kevin was knocked out. The images flash through your mind and the others flinch as they pick up on them. [Besides, I don't think we have much choice.]
The mind merge is quite possibly the strangest experience you'll ever have. It's deeper than a normal telepathic contact, stronger. It begins like a rising hum reverberating between your ears, it grows steadily until your thoughts are entirely absorbed by the sound, by the sensation. Images begin flashing past you, contributed by Adam, by Ami, by Jade or Megabyte. Then images start flowing from you as your unconscious memories rise to the power of the meld. You're tired and that feeling becomes stronger with each passing moment but fortunately the meld doesn't take long. It's only moments before you find that you saw the number plates of the cars that took Kevin, without ever realising that you had seen it.
The merge breaks and Megabyte pulls paper and pen from his pocket to scribble down the number.
"I'll get my Dad to check this out." He says, his American accent strengthening with excitement and anxiety. "He should have an address for us in a few minutes. Then we just need to get Kevin out of there."
He looks at you. You can see the uncertainty in his thoughts: you are clearly exhausted and drained by the effort of your first teleportation but on the other hand you've known Kevin longer than any of the Tomorrow People and you have an interest in this situation.
"Do you want to come along?" Megabyte asks you.
Do you:
a) Go with Megabyte to rescue Kevin.
b) Let him go without you.
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