Shadow Walker

The Speech

Just then, the bartender returned with Dec's drink—a tumbler filled with a marble-orange liquid and topped with a gas-blue flame.

"One 'surprise me' cocktail," she said. "We call it a 'Light Illusion'. Illusion because it looks like fire, but it can't burn you. It's an effervescent reaction, you see."

Dec felt like saying, 'I know what an illusion is,' then stopped. He had more important things to do than swap smart quips over fancy drinks with the bartender. He swiped the glass from the bartender's hand and pushed himself away from the bar.

Across the room, Kayla huddled amongst a group of government officials. They had their heads bowed and were nodding in unison as though pondering something very important. That, or falling asleep. Dec wound his way towards them, unsure of what he was going to do once he got there. He froze when an authoritative voice rang out over the speaker system in the ceiling.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen."

The crowd fell silent. Glowing faces turned to the centre of the room where a stout man in a double-breasted vest stood, arms stretched in a motion of appeal. Dec flinched as a swarm of Media Bugs lifted off the walls and hovered closer, like flies to dung, jostling for the best audio and visual footage to be aired from their respective news stations live around the Southern Isles. Dec shrunk behind a bulky onlooker and out of sight of the cameras.

The man continued, "Duran Heckley here, your Minister for Resources, and it's my great pleasure to welcome you all to the launch of 'Life Light'—our plan to bring infrared vision to Nocturnals around the country." He punctuated his words with a thrust of his hands, smiling widely. A polite applause followed to which Duran bobbed his head, accepting it. After a long pause, he went on. "Life Light is our ten-year strategic proposal to replace our reliance on SolStore technology with the more affordable and environmentally sustainable solar optic technology. It's a testament to our country's unwavering commitment to innovation and industry development and proof that we are at the forefront of change and technological advancement."

With each word, Dec could feel his temperature rising and his lips curling around an exclamation of disgust. The Minister's obnoxious enthusiasm was like having a bottle of poison forced down his throat and told it was medicine.

"According to our Estimates Committee, the integration of this new technology will lead to an incredible 8.9 billion sol saving per annum to be put towards further infrastructure development. This means new roads, highways, houses, workplaces, buildings and jobs for all Atundians. This change will single-handedly raise living conditions and fuel economic growth."

Dec wanted to roar with frustration, but forced the urge down with a swallow. While the Minister prattled on, spouting fancy words and superlatives, Dec scanned the crowd and noticed the rest of the cabinet ministers were bobbing their heads like strays for treats. Only one set of optics held still. Lazar stared at Dec, his head tilted forward, waiting for Dec to make his move.

Dec glanced at Kayla Bishop who, as if on cue, reached beneath the low V of her gown and pulled out the roll of trackpad. He pictured himself, pushing through the crowd, tackling her to the floor and wrestling it from her grip. But the fancy was severed by thoughts of the aftermath—the part where he was restrained, arrested and charged for assault.

He had no plan. And as the seconds and minutes dragged on and Kayla continued tapping her acrylic nails on the flexiglass, he had a vision of himself, drowning in a vast, tumultuous sea of infrared and disappearing below the surface without having moved even an arm to try and stay afloat. He imagined returning to his grimy garage and the ever expanding absence of his mother and pictured a future where Southerners fell dead on the street and Northerners side-stepped their bodies like they did the rotting strays. He imagined looking back and knowing he didn't do anything to stop it when he had a chance.