JACKIE:

Firestorm was the first to speak. “We can’t trust anything Beatrice says. She’s sly like a fox.”

“Sly, sophisticated… I can’t keep up with her, Dad.”

“Don’t let her spook you, Jackie. I have a plan.”

I was so glad I wasn’t alone in this. Firestorm, Zayne, Dad, he had a plan. “Great. What are you thinking?”

“We lock her up and keep her in a cage forever. Drain her blood and give it to my people and anyone else wronged by Life Rite. Give the little guy a power they never tasted before.”

His idea surprised and horrified me. I understood his instinct toward revenge because I wanted justice too, but there had to be a better way than caging Beatrice. As much as I hated seeing Zayne in a cage, I couldn’t be responsible for putting someone else in one. Two wrongs don’t make a right in my book. There had to be another way.

I stood and looked out onto the fields of scorched land, thinking. Part of me wanted to join Beatrice. I wanted the power and influence that came with being on her team. I imagined the wealth, the opulence, the prestige. All things I desperately wanted my whole life.

“She said no more mutants. With my blood, we could run things without hurting others. Help cure diseases.”

I felt honored that my blood was critical to her plan. Maybe I wasn’t as low as the trash I took out at Life Rite. I could run Life Rite instead. I never felt important until now…

“Look at this place,” I said to Firestorm. “She created an epic fire portal into the slipstream. Maybe she’s already explored every possibility and figured it all out. Maybe she’s on to something.”

Firestorm snorted.

“Seriously, Dad. We don’t have to decide. Can’t we try all the probabilities? Explore the slipstream until we know what Beatrice knows. Let’s play things out.”

“If we give into her,” Firestorm said, “she’ll burn the entire planet down. She only cares about herself.”

“You promised to show me how to manipulate the slipstream. What are you waiting for? Now’s the time. Help me become a slipstream master.”

He shook his head. “No. We don’t have time to try out different schemes. We’ve got to destroy that creepy drone and lock Beatrice up before she can cause any more damage. Let’s move.”

I sure was sick of him telling me what to do. I wanted to use the slipstream how Beatrice used it, to explore future probabilities to help make the right choice. New to having choices, I didn’t want to be quick to make the wrong decision.

“Why can’t we do both? Let’s create a stream to try things your way. Leave her in a cage to suffer forever. Take her blood and give it to your tribe. Open the slipstream to those who will not misuse it. Meanwhile, I can create a stream where I work with her.”

“Work with her? How could you, Jackie?”

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“Hear me out… We should explore the probabilities because the more information we have, the more we understand how to end the suffering once and for all.”

“Your mother sacrificed everything to make sure you didn’t wind up under Beatrice’s control.”

“If my blood can stop the mutations, maybe mom should have explored that solution. We could have been together as a family.”

Firestorm yelled, “She’ll use you and ruin you!”

I hate being yelled at, so I raised my voice, too.

“I’ve spent my whole life in squalor! Baxter did the best he could, but I can’t tell you how many days I went to bed starving!”

“So, this is about the money?” Firestorm asked.

That triggered me. “No! I mean, maybe. This is the world we’re living in. I’m sick of struggling!”

“You don’t know what it means to struggle!”

That infuriated me. “How would you know? Where were you my whole life? Playing around in the slipstream?”

“I’ve been trying to change things, Jackie. Figure out a way to…”

“To what? Save Grace from dying? Is that even possible? It’s in the past. Instead of spending time with me, you disappeared. Maybe you only care about yourself, too.”

“My presence would have given your location away. I’m not exactly subtle!”

As he yelled, a spark of fire spewed out of his mouth. I weaved away from being burned.

“I may have your messed up DNA, Dad, but I also have hers. Haven’t you spent enough time in the slipstream to realize there is no beating Life Rite? If you can’t beat ‘em…”

“Jackie, I forbid you!”

The idea of walking away from my birthright, the success of Life Rite, felt absurd compared to caging Beatrice for his revenge. What would that solve? The slaves would become the masters, but no healing would take place.

“You can’t control me, just like you can’t control Beatrice, or the slipstream, or anything! Nothing about your plan has ever worked.”

“You think you can do better? We’ll see,” said Firestorm. “I’ll create a new stream and show you the right way to end this.”

As much as I didn’t want him to leave, I nodded for him to go.

With that, Firestorm leapt in the air and flew away, leaving me there alone with my raging thoughts. He stumbled, still fighting the effects of the tranquilizer. I watched him go with tears in my eyes.

As Firestorm flew between the Grid and the field of fire, my vision blurred. He disappeared. It seemed like everyone could easily enter the slipstream except me. I vowed to learn their secrets, but now questioned if I was making the right choice.

Would I regret turning my back on Firestorm? Was I being selfish for wanting a better life? Was I naïve to think Beatrice could change? Would my mother turn in her grave to think of what I was about to do? Would Baxter be proud of me?

All I knew was there was a position of power being dangled in front of me, and I would not skip out on it. I owed it to myself to make things right, but not by being the underdog. I couldn’t struggle anymore. I’d heal things from the inside, top down. Right?

With Firestorm gone, I would have to enact my half-baked idea by myself. Should I make this decision in the slipstream to see the different outcomes or go for it in real life?

I heard the click of her high heels and turned around to see Beatrice standing behind me, wearing a wide grin.

“If I give you my blood, you have to stop creating mutants and massive fire portals. Leave the people of Bennu Island alone.”

“Done,” she said. “I don’t want to hurt anyone else. I won’t create such large fire portals, either.”

“Don’t you mean you’ll stop creating any fire portals?”

Beatrice chuckled. “I may still need some to enact my… our plans. I’ll keep them small and contained. You’ll see. Business negotiations are so much easier after you’ve explored the probabilities.”

“See, I can’t trust you…”

“Jackie, I’m being forthcoming. They’ll be manageable, I promise. It won’t affect the people of this island at all. They’re safe. I’ll keep my carbon footprint to a minimum.”

I rolled my eyes. Maybe I was making the biggest mistake of my life.

“I’ll get my tech department on it right away. They can invent anything I want.”

“Okay,” I said, holding onto hope that everything would work out.

Beatrice smiled and gave me a hug. A deep, genuine hug. We sat in our embrace for several moments. I still couldn’t believe someone like her wanted someone like me on her team.

Beatrice left the hug first, but she grabbed my hands and looked me right in my eyes. I had never felt more seen.

“Welcome to the family business, Jackie.”