Techno

Chapter 16

Merlin

     Merlin cleared his throat and rubbed his head. There was a feeling of uneasiness in the air between the unlikely acquaintances, and he had a strong urge not to divulge anything. But he hadn't talked to anyone about his his past in a long time, and having enough time to sit in the cell festering about it had driven him to near insanity. A part of him wanted to push the truth deeper, but another part of Merlin wanted his burden to be lifted.

     "What's your name?" Merlin asked, through the vent.

     There was a pause, and then the soft voice of a young woman responded, "Ellie...Ellie Jobs."

     "Pleasure to meet you Ellie," Merlin sighed. "What do you do?"

     "What?" Ellie asked, a little confused.

     "What's your power?" asked Merlin, picking at the ground. "It's why everyone's in here. We've all got powers that we've been deemed not worthy enough to use."

     "I can..." Ellie paused, as if she were struggling with the right words. "I can manipulate...technology..."

     "What does that mean?" asked Merlin.

     "It's kinda hard to explain..." stuttered Ellie. "It's like I can communicate...interface...with whatever technology I come into contact with."

     "How the hell did that happen to you?" Merlin responded, leaning back on the concrete wall.

     "It's a long story..." Ellie whispered. "But I wasn't the only one, my friend had something happen to him too."

     "Your friend?" asked Merlin.

     "I...," Ellie stuttered, shyly trying to explain. "My 'friend'...Gabriel..."

     "Something tells me 'Gabriel' was more than just a friend," Merlin observed, simply by the tone in Ellie's voice.

     Ellie was quiet before responding, embarrassment evident in her voice, "Okay I'll admit, I did have feelings for him...but he's gone now and I don't know what's happened to him."

     "He's out there, somewhere," sighed Merlin, knowing the feeling of loss. "But tell me, what happened to you both? Where did your abilities come from?" 

     Ellie remained silent. 

     Merlin looked around his own cell. For a long time he'd always wondered about the others, and if their stories were any similar to his. It was a deep longing, a longing not to be alone in such a vast world of uncertainty.

     "Ellie," Merlin started, before stopping to make sure he was choosing the right words. "If I tell you my story, will you tell me yours?"

     There was no response, and Merlin understood her hesitation. He could hear the strain in her voice, as if it was taking everything in her power to not burst into tears. It was a feeling that Merlin, himself, had felt for such a long time.

     "It all began..." Merlin started, knowing that Ellie wouldn't respond, "when I was a young teenager."

     He thought that maybe if he started talking, it would inspire his fellow captive to speak out as well. Merlin pushed himself up so his back was flatter against the wall before continuing. Every word was hard for him to utter, but it was all a part of his story...

**

A Long Time Ago...

     The sparse grassy plains whipped in the breeze, and the relentless sun bore down on the cracked Earth from high above. For miles, a desert stretched onward that had been baked by the everlasting sun for eons, and it would be baked for eons more. Still, there was a peculiar, ugly, beauty that resonated from the deformed rocks and shimmering tumbleweed. Nearby, a sand-colored lizard licked its chapped lips and scurried under a rock for some shade.