Cyberwitch Academy: Learn or Burn

Chapter 1

I run up two flights of stairs to the attic, holding grandma's carving knife face down, I bound into the room and fall upon the packing boxes piled up against the wall. The twins sit impassive on the bed, like a couple of regular sphinxes, a Wednesday Adams cosplay convention just for two.

I'm so sick of seeing those downcast faces. Can count the number of times they have smiled since mom disappeared on one hand. And it's been a year now.

So, I start pulling out all our stuff, rip the packing tape and labels off, the customs stamps and the travel details showing NYC all over the place, maybe the last I'll ever see of the place. We're in London now baby, and the sky outside is so London. So, like we're stuck inside a plastic box with a white lid. Threatening to rain.

And I find all kinds of things I hadn't thought about really since mom did her vanishing act. And then I think I've got it; I tip out a whole box of micro drones that I did some work on way back when. Get out one of my old laptops and fire it up. The girls are pretending not to be intrigued, but they haven't seen my get the tech out for a while and they are excited. So, I start up my music, grandma is so far away, it's like the kitchen is three apartments away and somehow, we're still in the same house.

This part of London is so Mary Poppins, I thought we'd entered a movie when I first came to this old house. But the twins aren't excited. Haven't been excited since... well yeah. Everything is since dot dot dot. Trying to shake it off for one moment, pretend I'm not as broken as they are, so I'm the ringkeeper of a circus now.

Got me rigged baby drones, all made up to look like a swarm of fairies, rewrote all their code my own self, hot little tech genius that I am, and they have lights, and I'm using voice control, with the laptop and a little clip mike on my shirt, got them all dancing around me and the girls are smiling now, Adri and Gabi doing a little almost dance on the bed.

Now I've got the taste, my instinct is to push it, turn the music up, throw open the sash window and send my pretties to light up the roof of this old pile, liven up the neighbourhood. Adri and Gabi up at the window giving me 'oohs and aahs' and that delicious twin giggle, being seven-year-olds again for the first time in forever. Are you happy mom? I'm thinking. Wherever you are.

But there's this other sound nagging for my attention now, and a shiver runs down my spine, I realise Grandma is shouting, but really shouting. Something I've never heard before.

Now she's at the door, pale faced. 'Get all this stuff back in the boxes now! Now now now!'

Something in her voice tells me we're in danger, not trouble, danger. And then there is that weird old doorbell going, like the wrong answer on a gameshow, but somebody is just hanging on that bell, and there is a fist pounding on the thick old door, even from two flights up it sounds way too close.

And now I'm stuffing things back in packing boxes, suddenly feeling like I've done something terrible and I don't even know what.

Grandma opens the front door. We're lined up in the hall behind her. Two cops force their way past. Big men. Guns? British cops with guns? Old cop has us shuffle into the kitchen where he keeps us standing. He sits at the table and requests a cup of tea, seeing as the kettle is on. Young cop is upstairs, and we can hear him ransacking our luggage. He has a warrant he can assure us.

I'm saying to myself over and over, I'm innocent. Like an incantation. I didn't know it was illegal to play with drones.

Grandma has gone deathly quiet. Old cop moves slowly, confidently, taking his time looking at the pictures on the walls. Old photos of dad, mostly, the wandering poet as a young man.

"You're lucky it's us, madam."

Conspiratorial tone, hints of unsubtle menace.

"If it was the Witch Hunters, well, they're a lot less... polite."

His radio chatters. Can barely make out what they're saying.

"I'm waiting for a female colleague to come by."

The sound of boxes of things being turned upside down comes from upstairs. Something smashes.

"Why is that?" Grandma asks.

"We need to run a few tests on the girls. That's some restricted technology you have there. Naughty stuff."

I knew the laws were different here. I had to sign contracts before I came to London. I got into trouble using my skills to go hunting for mom back home. Took a lot of work to get me a visa for the Republic of London. League cities share all their data.

"We've only been in the country five minutes sir. I didn't know that stuff was restricted here."

"You're in New London now, my love."

Fem cop arrives. Brusque manner. Runs the questions while she has all of us. All of us. Strip down to our underwear in our own kitchen.

I try to bluff it out, like I'm not concerned. Grandma too, stands tall and proud. There I am, while she puts her clothes back on, I'm last. The twins too scared to even cry. I know I'll see that, Adri and Gabi shivering in fear, taking off their little sweaters, I'll see that in my dreams for the rest of my life.

And they're taking their time with me. I'm standing in my panties and bra and they're holding up my arm, inspecting all the scars, Grandma sees them too, and the girls.

"What's all this?"

"It's called self-harm ma'am. Popular with the kids."

"What did you do it with?"

"All kinds of stuff ma'am, whatever I can get. I'm trying to give it up."

"Is it a mark?" She asks old cop. "Should we call it through?"

Grandma intervenes, "For Christ's sake officer, she's grieving for her mother. This is trauma not biotech. She has no implants of any kinds, run your scanner. She's just a child who made few mistakes with a computer."

"Bullshit." Old cop spits.

"Your family is red flagged. We've got a big fat file on you lot and we'll be watching the bloody lot of you. It's only a matter of time before they round you up."

Then they're gone. And I'm running up the stairs, two at a time. I'm at the sash window climbing out. I notice the rain has begun, as I crawl up onto the slick roof tiles and I sit, shaking, trying not to be sick, seeing the lights of New London on the horizon, swarming with copters, airBikes and drones.

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