The Stronghold

Connected Via BrainFi

*

Salt started to feel pins and needles in his feet. The feeling grew until it seemed like his feet were frozen, the circulation being cut off.

The car began to slow as Salt was unable to keep pressing his foot to the accelerator. Noticing that something was wrong Georgina took over the driving, speeding up and steering using her robotic arm to hack into the Porsche's systems.

"What's going on?" Josh asked, leaning forwards between the seats. "The driving style changed."

"Why isn't Salt driving?" Shaade added, pulling himself up Josh's back so his head poked over the soldier's shoulder.

"My legs," Salt muttered. "I can't feel my legs, or my feet, and oh!" He slumped forwards, head whacking against the steering wheel. Ever the practical man Josh checked for a pulse and his face drained of all colour.

"What?" Rebecca called, bouncing forwards.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Sophie meowed.

"Has Salt died?" Rebecca added.

"Salt seems to be frozen," Josh said.

"That's impossible," Emmi said. "Salt melts water, it's a chemical reaction, that sort of stuff."

"No," Josh frowned, "I mean he's literally frozen. Everything has stopped."

*

"Pepper," a voice called, a hand slapping my face lightly. "Pepper, are you alive?"

"Eurghnmh," I murmured, rolling my head sideways, trying to get away. "Lemmeawone..."

"No," the same voice said sternly. "Get up now, come on."

"Noooooooooo..."

"Your phones been going off like mad and you need to be social. Get up." I felt a hand on my back and another around my shoulders, forcing me to sit upright. My head lolled onto my chest and I whimpered, still feeling cold.

"Look, I'll connect you to Georgina so you can talk," Tom said. I shook my head and struggled upright, groaning.

"Don't," I said weakly. "She'll panic, I don't want her to panic."

"She's strong," Tom assured me. "It'll be fine." He waved his hand and an ice screen appeared in front of us, connecting to something. Georgina's face appeared on screen and she frowned.

"How are you connecting with me?" she asked. "I can see you like you're in front of me..."

*

Georgina heard voices and then jumped as two familiar faces appeared in front of her.

"How are you connecting with me?" she frowned, passing the steering over to Shaade by making a control panel spring out of the back seats.

"I can see you like you're in front of me," she continued. "It's quite distracting, really."

"Owwwwwww," Salt gasped suddenly, sitting upright. "Oh God, that really hurt."

"What happened?" Pepper asked, his voice quieter than usual.

"I felt a sudden freezing sensation in my lower legs," Salt explained. "There's water down at the bottom of the car, look."

*

Georgina glanced down to look at the floor and our vision tilted, moving with her head.

"Tom, how are you connecting with my wife?" I asked in a shriller voice than intended.

"Not sure," he shrugged. "I just thought of her and something clicked in my head."

"Can anyone else see the screen thing?" I asked Georgina. She thought for a minute, her frown deepening.

"I think only Salt can," she said after asking around a little. "He can feel what you feel, Pepper, pain and such like. He can sense emotions."

"Interesting," I muttered. "And who's Salt?"

"So you have super speed and your brother can sense emotions," Georgina continued. I froze, face paling.

"Brother?"

"Even I had worked it out by now," Tom said under his breath. I slowly turned to glare at him, my hands balled into fists.

"And nobody decided to tell me?" I growled angrily. "I should know! I have a right to know!"

"He bloody well does," S agreed. "And by the way, I'm Salt."

"Salt and Pepper," Tom snorted, holding back laughter. I turned and punched him in the ribs, staying perfectly still whilst the connection vanished.

Finally, I muttered in my head. Peace and quiet.

Um, maybe not, a sheepish voice said. Hello, brother.

Not another person in my damn head!