Binary Boy

By RJ Astruc

It's a lonely life being an Interpol kid. With both Michel's parents working for the international police force and always moving from country to country, it's hard enough to make friends, let alone find a boyfriend. Then he meets Benny during an online chat, and Benny is everything Michel ever wanted and more. He looks forward to meeting his crush when his family heads to Australia on an important mission. But Benny isn't quite what he seems, and it may have something to do with the man Michel's parents are investigating and his relationship to an AI. In order to find out the truth, Michel will have to go to greater lengths—and face greater dangers—than he ever imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
• Release date: Aug 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781632161499

Book preview

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Binary Boy

WE WERE stuck in customs.

Again.

I sat in the quarantine lounge and tried not to bang my head against the walls out of boredom. My parents had left me alone while they went to complain to the Australian customs officers. I could already picture them harassing some poor desk jockey—We’re celebrated Interpol agents! How dare you make us wait like regular civilians? I felt bad admitting it, but my parents were kind of high maintenance.

Meanwhile, I had to amuse myself in quarantine. The lounge was a long white room filled with long rows of plastic chairs—it looked as sterile as a hospital and just as inviting. An artificial intelligence projected onto a screen at the front of the room occasionally called out names: John Seaman, please report to the customs desk now. Delia Carangi, your papers have been cleared. You may now progress to room six. There were a handful of other people in quarantine with me, other poor travelers who’d fallen afoul of customs. Some were well-dressed business types whom I guessed had probably forgotten to organize the right travel papers. A couple were young people in their early twenties, one carrying a surfboard—I picked them for either wannabe drug smugglers or people who’d overstayed their visas and were waiting to be deported.

There were a bunch of ragged people at the back of the lounge who looked like they’d been stuck in customs for a long time. Maybe even months. Their clothes were worn and crumpled and their hair matted—they’d probably had to wash and dry it in the lounge toilets. I shuddered at the idea and hoped my parents would be back soon with good news. I didn’t want to spend even a night in quarantine if I could help it.

How long has it been now, Miche? my boyfriend Benny asked.

Six hours and forty-four minutes, I said, checking the time on my phone. And counting.

Benny pulled an ew face. Sounds awful, he said. Wish I was there to cheer you up.

Me too, babe.

Unfortunately for us both, Benny was talking to me using the video-chat function on my phone. Right now he was comfortable at home, sitting on the balcony of his house, bright sunlight streaming down behind him. Through the phone, I could faintly hear the sound of the ocean as it washed up on the nearby beach and the occasional sounds of gulls.

Benny lived on White Island, which was one of several floating metal islands off the east coast of Australia. We had never met in person. I know, it’s pretty weird to have never met your boyfriend face-to-face, especially when we’d been together for almost six months. But we made it work. We almost always had our phones on (never mind how much my parents complained about the bills) and we sent each other presents in the mail.

This quarantine lounge in Australian customs was the closest I’d ever gotten to Benny. If my parents had their way with the customs officials, we’d finally get to meet.

I couldn’t wait to kiss him.

Are you still okay about meeting up? Benny asked me.

Of course I am. I can’t wait. Why… have you got cold feet?

I was only teasing, but Benny’s uneasy smile didn’t inspire me with hope. Benny had been nervous about us meeting up ever since I’d told him the good news about my parents’ upcoming secondment to Australia. I couldn’t understand why—we talked so much on the phone that I knew we’d get on just as well offline. Benny was a gorgeous guy too: a blond with sun-bleached hair, a tanned surfer body, and serious brown eyes. We’d look great together.

I don’t know, Benny said. It feels… kind of early for this.

"Kind of early for what? Most people have actually met their boyfriend face-to-face before they fall in love with them, you know. I chewed my lip. I just want to see you, Benny."

I know, I know. I want to see you too.

I sighed. I would have tried to reassure him, but our conversation was interrupted by a severe-faced customs officer.

Children are not allowed to be left unattended in the quarantine lounge, she snapped at me.

I’m fifteen! Anyway, my parents are… around, somewhere. I looked about vainly to see if I could spot them. No luck. Knowing them, they were probably standing in an office somewhere, demanding to see the management. Or the Australian prime minister. They’re Interpol agents, I added lamely. "They’re, um,