The Novida Code (2 page)

We were scared. At any rate,
I
was scared. Sometimes I think that Lauren doesn't know what fear is. But she was very pessimistic, and that terrified me. She was certain that we would all soon be called upon to fight on Earth.

In this, she was mistaken, as we realised during President Gourdoyne's speech. Unconditional surrender. It didn't seem possible. I felt ashamed for our world and Lauren was seething with pent-up rage.

But she soon calmed down, even before the arrival of Commandant Amar Oxonates. Since our country was the temporary leader of the world coalition, he had decided to visit a hundred or so of our schools. The headmaster had given us clear instructions on how he expected us to behave, laying particular stress on our conduct, which had to be exemplary. Lauren had taken special care over her appearance – which astonished me. She had carefully smoothed her long brown hair and even applied makeup, using blue eyeliner that emphasised the colour of her eyes and her red lips. I couldn't understand it. I thought that she would have tried to look her worst out of defiance.

When I asked her why, she simply smiled without a word. And I understood. I knew that smile. This was the smile she reserved for when a teacher was harassing and ridiculing one of our school mates. The smile that meant she was going to even the score. No punishment could deter her and the teachers themselves had learnt to beware of that smile.

It scared me to see her smile like that. I had no time to question her further beforehand, as we were in the front row in the big courtyard where the TV cameras were installed, and the Efeghis were arriving.

And this came as a surprise. We already knew that they looked like us, but they were beautiful, with fine, almost noble features. In any case, this was how they were described in all the newspapers – the same ones that had poked fun at them during the war. Only their skin tone was different, being slightly grey. But that didn't stop a few idiots amongst us from gazing admiringly at them. To my huge surprise, Lauren was one of them.

“What's got into you?” I asked her.
“Shut up and listen!” she hissed back. The alien commandant was already climbing the steps of the stadium that had been erected in the middle of the courtyard, and positioning himself in front of the microphone.

“
My friends,” he began, in a firm, melodious voice. “I'm here today to assure you that you'll come to no harm. From this moment on, you become members of the Empire, and my primary duty is to protect you.”

“
How sweet of him” I murmured to Lauren.

“
Shut up!” she interrupted, sharply. She was listening with apparent fascination to the commandant, the hint of a hesitant smile playing on her lips. She was beginning to frighten me.

“
OK, tell me what's going on!”

“
Later!” she replied in a harsh voice that belied the sweetness of her expression. A sense of unease swept over me. I was afraid that she'd try to ridicule the enemy, to do something in front of the cameras.  Sensing now that she was up to something far more dangerous, I was really scared.

The commandant went on: “I assure you that everything on Earth will remain as before. As far as you are concerned, we're here only to maintain order and ensure your well-being.”

A voice butted in, vehemently, “You can take your assurances and stuff them up your ass, you bastard!”

It was Michel, a youngster in our class who had frequently complained about being just too young to be recruited. The commandant smiled without responding and went on: “I understand your fear and hostility. Time alone will prove to you that our intentions are peaceful. But, for that to happen, we'll need your help. In order to avoid the mistakes and misunderstandings that could turn us against each other.”

“If they're that peaceful, why did they go to such lengths to invade us?” Fabienne, the school nurse, exclaimed in a fairly loud voice. Lauren frowned slightly, and edged away from her. She was still gazing intently at the commandant like a lost child seeking desperately to be reassured.

I couldn't make up my mind whether to laugh or cry at her game. For I was beginning to realise that Lauren had simply lost it. She had decided to fight. And she had absolutely no chance. I knew she was intelligent and mature for her age, but, like me, she was still only a kid of eighteen.

Meanwhile, her ploy had attracted the commandant's attention. He concealed it, but I saw a glint appear in his eye. Lauren is beautiful. You don't very often notice this, as she smiles only rarely, watching the world with a hard, remote gaze. After what she's been through, I understand her, yet it's still hard to get close to her. But the Lauren she was revealing today was quite a different creature. Sweet and diffident, like a fragile and impressionable young girl.

“
This is the beginning of a new era for all of us. We must forget past differences and look together towards the future. A future where our two worlds will be brothers, able to work together for the good of all.”

The
end of the speech elicited a few boos. I didn't join in as I had seen the commandant's eyes scanning the whole crowd, registering every reaction. I sensed that those who had opposed him most violently would come to regret it, and I was grateful to Lauren for having prevented me from making the same mistake. Despite all this, I was furious with her. She had succeeded in attracting the attention of the leader of our enemies and I already knew that she wouldn't stop there.

I waited until school broke up to ask her for an explanation. At the end of the Differential Geometry class, I pulled her to one side: “OK, now will you please explain yourself!” Lauren replied with a smile whilst keeping an eye on the corridor where teachers and students were milling around us:
“Keep calm, Auxana. Act normally. The last thing you want is to attract attention…”

“
The last thing I want is for you to do what you have in mind, whatever that might be.”

“
I have no idea what you're talking about,” she replied, in a calm and reasonable voice.

“
Don't try that game with me!” I exclaimed. Two nearby students turned round as they passed by. Lauren burst out laughing as though in response to a good joke. The students continued on their way. Lauren turned back towards me. For once her mask of sweetness slipped and she glared furiously at me:
“Just calm down right now! Smile and act normally.”
She smiled as she spoke and her face remained perfectly calm. Only her eyes and her harsh tone of voice betrayed her irritation. Besides, she was more than just irritated. She was scared. For me. I calmed down and did as she asked. Maintaining what I hoped was an impassive expression, I pressed her:
“I know you're up to something, Lauren. I know you. But there's too much at stake this time, Lauren. This isn't about getting back at a teacher for unjustly punishing a student. You're risking your life if you have a go at these people.”
“And d'you think I don't already know that? I'm not doing this on a whim. I'm simply not going along with it, that's all.”
“Going along with what?”
“Giving up. Surrendering. With the Earth abandoning the fight
unconditionally
and wagging its tail to welcome its new masters.”
“I know it's hard, intolerable, even, but it isn't up to you to put up a fight!”
“So who then, Auxana? Who should put up a fight? Those who won't sit back and allow such things to happen”
“At any rate, not a girl who turned eighteen only a couple of months ago.”
“Other people, then. OK. And have you any idea who you're then leaving responsible for saving our lives? Some unknown person endowed with the requisite qualities? In the hope that he or she doesn't hide under their bed and actually dares to do something?”

I looked blankly at Lauren. “You mean that as far as you're concerned, no-one is going to fight them?”

“No, Auxana, I mean that as far as I'm concerned,
everyone
should fight them. The days of girls, war veterans and heroes are over. Anyone on Earth who can think and can still move should fight now. But that's not happening. Nobody is lifting a finger.”

“
Maybe you don't see it but…”

“
No, Auxana, I refuse to sit back and leave it up to others to do what needs to be done. I can't rely on other people. Where would I be right now if I'd waited for the authorities or the police or whoever to come to my aid? I no longer believe in heroes, Auxana, I only believe in myself.”

I gazed at her for a moment, then shook my head:
“OK then. What do you have in mind? I presume you have a plan…”
Her affected calm evaporated:

“
I do have a plan, but you're not part of it. This time, there's no question of you following me.”
“Act normally”, I replied somewhat ironically. “In any case, you know full well that you can't stop me following you!”

I detected a calculating gleam in her eye and decided to put an immediate stop to any complicated plan she might be about to hatch for tying my hands. “Listen Lauren, if you try to do this on your own, I'll go before the headquarters and scream insults at the Efeghis until they chuck me into a hole.”
“You wouldn't dare.” But now I could sense her backing down. She tried again to dissuade me: “You've no idea of the hornet's nest I'm about to stir up. You'll be risking your life and that of all your family.” 

“
So will you.”

“
I don't have any family, as you well know. My mother died last year and I'll shed no tears if they take Léon away because of me.”

“
And what about your life?”
“I prefer to die fighting than live as a coward.”
“Well, so do I, so that's settled. How do we go about it?”
“Auxana, I don't think you really understand what you're doing.”

“
Don't be condescending, please! I'm not doing this just for you. It's my decision and I'll face the consequences.”
She stared at me for a moment. It was the sort of scrutiny for she would later become renowned, her eyes delving to the depths of your soul, sizing you up, weighing up everything. Then she turned away with a sigh. And I knew I had won.

“
So, how do we go about it?” Auxana had asked.

I
couldn't bear to see her asking me this, following me and my crazy scheme. For that's what this certainly was, I was under no illusion whatsoever. There was every chance that I'd end up being tortured and murdered in some cell before managing to be of any real use.

But
if that were the case, it wouldn't be a huge loss for mankind, and I knew I had no alternative. I couldn't let these people invade us and quietly transform us into the poodles of their Empire. But Auxana… now she was another matter. She didn't deserve to languish in prison because of me.

I
knew that it would be impossible to stop her following me, and I realised that a tiny selfish part of me was glad of this. Because, deep down, I was scared. Really scared. And with Auxana, I would at least have someone whom I could trust implicitly.

“
OK”, I said. “First of all, we need to find a group of collaborators and join them.”
“How do we find them?”
“That's easy. They'll probably be slinking like docile dogs at the heels of their masters. Tomorrow, we'll pay a visit to the headquarters.”
“Why not this evening?”
“It's better to go in the daytime. And wear some decent clothes. Dress sexy, but don't overdo it.”
“Why?”
I gazed at her for a moment before replying with a sigh: “I don't imagine it'll be our intellectual qualities they're after.”
“You mean…”
“I mean that they'll certainly be looking for a little company.” Auxana's eyes widened. It took her a while to digest this piece of information.
“It isn't compulsory but it's quite possible that they'll ask us to sleep with them.” I added quietly: “Are you prepared to go that far?”
“How about you?”
“If that's what it takes, yes. You can still back out, Auxana. Nobody's forcing you to do this.”
There was a moment's silence before she replied. I knew she'd give me an honest answer, without worrying about losing face. Then, she looked up again:
“Yes. I'd loathe it, but I can do it.”
I could see in her eyes that she'd grasped the situation. What we were going to do would be no game: it would be unpleasant, repugnant and extremely dangerous. All that in the faint hope of learning something useful, something that could help us beat the Efeghis and send them back to where they came from.

“
Alright. We'll meet at midday tomorrow at your place. And in the meantime, not a word until we're in a safe place. We're going to be watched every minute of the day. They'll certainly be expecting to be infiltrated by bogus collaborators like us. We'll have to be able to really live this lie. It must become second nature.”
“Right. So I like and admire the Efeghis…”
“No. It would look suspicious if you went too far. I'll take the role of the enthusiastic collaborator. I'd rather you played the sceptic. You're dubious about them but you still want to follow me to get a closer look at them in spite of your objections. And you're gradually converted, on seeing just how nice and trustworthy they are…”