Bounders by Monica Tesler

Author:Monica Tesler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

13

“LET ME TURN IT OVER TO your guide, Gedney,” Waters says.

Gedney hobbles to the center of the Ezone. His arms swing heavily by his side. Sure enough, he wears the gloves.

When he reaches the center, he turns to face us. “Yes, we should get going. No reason to delay.”

He raises his hands into the air. Pulsing currents of light race to his fingertips. In the blackness, the brilliant light blinds me. And just as the room is black, devoid of color, so is the light. It has no color—just brightness.

The pulsing continues. I fixate on the light until my heart aligns with the pulsing of the gloves, and my blood pumps to the same rhythm. I float, fall, reel in space. What on earth is this place? I’m afraid but filled with awe.

“Ezone Bounding Training Protocol, initiate,” Gedney says.

As soon as Gedney utters the command, a billion pinpricks of light, each as bright as the pulsing light on Gedney’s hands, fill the room. And they’re everywhere. Above, below, behind. The light fills me, too. I glow from the inside.

It’s just too much. Every ounce of awareness I have sparks to life. I gasp for breath, and my right leg buckles. I throw my hands out in front to brace my fall, and tangle with someone already on the ground.

“Jasper?” Lucy whispers. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” As I stare at a shimmering outline of Lucy, I’m sure it’s her only from her voice.

“What is this?” she asks.

“I have no idea.”

She gropes in the darkness until she finds my hand. She clutches me like she’ll be lost in space if she lets go.

“Okay, that’s a start,” Gedney says. “Don’t fret; you’ll adjust.”

That’s it? Don’t fret?

“Look, Einstein,” Marco calls out, “you’ve got to tell us what’s going on here.”

Yeah, no kidding.

“Very well, Marco. Can you make it to me? You’ll be first.”

A glowing blob that must be Marco creeps toward Gedney. He waves his hands in front, trying to swat a path through the light.

“Walk right through, son. Nothing’s going to hurt you,” Gedney says.

Gedney pulls a second pair of gloves from somewhere and helps Marco ease them onto his hands.

“Good, a perfect fit,” Gedney says.

Lines of light race from Marco’s fingers.

“Whoa!” Marco yells. “Oh man. I don’t know about this, Geds.” Marco’s voice vibrates with fear and exhilaration. His body jerks around like a giant bug has landed on him and he’s trying to shake it off.

“Now, now, give it a second,” Gedney says. “The gloves are just binding with you. It’s a strange experience the first time.”

Lucy leans over and whispers in my ear. “I can’t do this.”

I’m thinking the same thing. I squeeze her hand, hoping she’ll think I’m trying to boost her confidence rather than hang on for dear life.

Marco’s body finally quiets. He holds his hands in front of him and examines his palms. “What the heck happened?”

“The gloves have established a direct cerebral link via your neural system,” Gedney says.

“English, please, Geds,” Marco says.

“The gloves are synced with your brain.

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