Future Shock

29

I close the genealogy program and open a new search for old news articles. I input my name plus suicide, and half a dozen articles show up from various local news sites. I click on the first one, with the headline: Four Teens Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Four teens, all in the foster care system, have been found dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

Three of the teens suffered fatal gunshot wounds yesterday in different locations across Los Angeles County. Coroner’s assistant Edith Moore said the victims were shot multiple times. The names of the victims have been withheld.

Police suspect the final teen, Elena Martinez, 17, killed the others before taking her own life. A lifeguard discovered her body early this morning near the Santa Monica Pier, with what police believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No suicide note was found. The investigation is ongoing.

Any lingering doubt I had is gone. This is going to happen.

The other articles all have similar headlines. I go through each one, hoping to learn more, but none give any hint as to why I did it. Most of the articles are short—just another random murder in a big city. They don’t even have pictures of our bodies or names or locations or anything I could use.

“Hey,” Trent says.

I jump and twist around, using my body to block my screen. Trent’s leaning back from his cubby, which is next to mine. His face looks even whiter than usual, bleached out by whatever he’s learned. Does he know I’m the one who is going to kill him? If they find out, I might not make it to tomorrow. Zoe wouldn’t do anything, but Chris or Trent? I’m not sure.

“Are you…” He stops and closes his eyes for a moment, but I know what he means.

“Yeah. I’m dead too.” I rub my sweaty palms on my jeans and watch him for any reaction.

“Tomorrow?”

I nod. He’s not freaking out at me and neither are the others, so they must not know that I’m the one who killed them. Good. But if they keep poking around, they’ll find the same articles I did sooner or later. I can’t let that happen.

I close the screen—everything I saw is imprinted in my memory forever anyway—and spin around. “Did you guys find anything?” I ask, loud enough for the others to hear.

“Just that I’m gonna be shot tomorrow,” Chris mutters, turning away from his screen. “Like Shawnda said. What about you?”

He doesn’t know. Thank God. My shoulders relax, and I tilt my head at Trent. “Us too.”

We all pull our chairs close so we can talk quietly. Adam stands on the fringe of our group, silently watching our discussion. He’s the only one who isn’t going to be dead tomorrow. I study him for a moment, with his black glasses and rumpled brown hair, wondering why I will spare his life.

Zoe hangs her head in her hands, hiding her face. “Everything my sister told us…it’s all true. It’s all in my death certificate.”

“Cause of death, multiple gunshot wounds,” Trent mumbles, and my throat clenches up.

Chris swears and runs a hand over his scalp. “So all four of us, tomorrow?”

“Looks that way,” I say.

“But why?” Zoe asks. “Why would someone do this?”

I need to think of something, quick. Otherwise they might start digging through the past for more information. “It has to be Aether Corporation.”

Zoe blinks at me. “You think…you think Aether did this?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. It’s the only connection between us, other than foster care.”

Chris studies me, his brow creased. “You think they killed us to keep the project secret?”

“Maybe. Or maybe we learn something in the future they don’t want getting out.”

“Elena might be right,” Trent says. “Think about it. The empty research building. The lies about going crazy if we look into our own future. The fact that we went forward thirty years instead of ten.”

“There’s something else too.” I wasn’t going to tell them about what I heard, not after Adam dismissed it, but it might keep the suspicion on Aether and off me. And I’m still not sure they didn’t kill all of us. “I overheard Dr. Kapur and Dr. Walters last night.”

I briefly tell them everything I heard. How the scientists were worried something might happen again, and they might have to use younger kids next time. I leave out that I already told this story to Adam.

“You’re sure? You’re one hundred percent sure that’s what they said?” Chris asks.

“Elena has a perfect memory,” Adam says, speaking up for the first time since we got here.

“That’s your talent?” Chris raises an eyebrow at me, and I nod.

“But Adam’s not dead,” Trent says, and every head swivels to look at Adam. “Wouldn’t Aether kill him too?”

“He’s right.” Adam takes off his glasses and stares at them. “I’m still alive in this future. That store we got the flexis from, Smartgear—it’s owned by Aether Corporation. They’re still around. And”—he takes a breath—“my future self works for them.”

My stomach drops, like someone’s punched me in the gut. Future-Adam, working for Aether? I don’t believe it. Except…a part of me does. I saw the faces of those salespeople at Smartgear when they realized who he was.

“What do you mean?” asks Zoe, her eyes wide.

“I knew you were involved somehow,” Chris growls, jumping up from his chair.

Adam throws up his hands. “We don’t know if it means anything. I’m just as surprised by this as you are.”

I don’t want to admit it, but Chris might be onto something. It would explain why Adam defended Aether when I told him what I overheard. Chris was right before—I don’t know anything about Adam. I have no reason to trust him.

“Are you working for Aether now?” I ask him, taking a step forward.