Renegade Children

by J. N. Chaney

  “There are some duplicates, but yes,” said Gaia.

  “So, what are those new buildings you mentioned?” I asked.

  “That seems clear enough, don’t you think?” asked Dressler. She motioned to the nearby chambers. “The infants have left the womb. I believe we all know what comes next.”

  * * *

  I stood on a field of grass, newly grown from this morning. It was soft and brought a fresh, calming smell to the air, which seemed to carry across the entire valley. What had been brown and desolate when I first awoke had now filled itself with shades of green.

  Freddie, Petra, Abigail, Octavia, Bolin, Leif, Dressler, Alphonse, and Lex stood beside me, all their eyes on what lay ahead. All their words gone.

  A little dome, three meters tall and two across, sat alone at the base of a small hill, but that was hardly the cause of our speechlessness.

  No, that was reserved for the animals grazing in the field, all of whom had come from the dome mere moments ago. They walked on four legs, had black faces and legs, with a white fluff around their bodies. I’d never seen anything like them, except in a storybook, not long ago.

  “It’s a sheep,” muttered Lex, and her eyes were wide with awe. She took a step forward, but then pulled back, almost afraid to go near them. I couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t every day that the made-up animal in your storybook came to life.

  “It sure is,” I whispered, unable to turn my eyes from them.

  I’d asked Sigmond to scan the planet to show us what kind of animals had appeared. When he’d mentioned finding sheep, I knew Lex would want to see them.

  She wasn’t the only one. Tiler, Dixon, and Fumi were right next to her, all of them in disbelief at the miracle before them.

  “What do you think, kid?” I asked, after a while. I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Are they like the story?”

  She slowly nodded, the edges of her lips curling into a smile. “I knew they were real,” she whispered. “The book said if you believed in them, it was proof.”

  “Proof of what?” I asked, glancing down at her.

  She looked up at me. “Proof that they exist.”

  I stared out at the animals, a soft breeze blowing through the valley, bending the grass around us. The world had changed in a day, transformed into another.

  But we were still here.

  I looked to the east—to where Verdun had been—and saw a glowing light against the horizon. Not far beside it to the north, another one lay waiting. The fusion reactors that had once been cities stood tall and alone. Whatever their purpose, I expected we would find out soon.

  When the dark of night came, the world would glow with a thousand tiny suns as newly born animals grazed on fields of day-old grass.

  We’d seen enough change for one day, I knew, and yet I could not help but wonder—

  What would we see tomorrow?

  Epilogue

  I sat in the newly-built shelter at a makeshift desk. Alphonse, Sigmond, Freddie, and Abigail were with me, most of the others having already gone to bed for the night. It was late, and the day had been long, but still we had matters to discuss.

  Matters that could not wait.

  “Where’s the Celestial now?” I asked.

  “Dr. Dressler has it sealed inside a case of Neutronium,” said Sigmond. “She and Athena have already begun their dissection.”

  “I expect we’ll learn a few things from that,” said Alphonse.

  “Hopefully, something useful we can use,” I told him.

  “You still think they’ll come for us?” asked Abigail.

  I nodded. “Even if they don’t know we killed one of them, they’ll figure out where he went eventually.”

  Freddie tilted his head. “But the tunnel’s sealed now, isn’t it? I removed the core myself. Won’t that be enough?”

  “Maybe,” I said, reaching out and touching the Foxy Stardust bobblehead on the corner of the desk, turning it so it faced me. “But we can’t just sit around and put our bets on a hope. That’s a life of fear, not freedom.”

  “What can we do, then?” he asked.

  I leaned forward. “Al, what do you know about the state of the Union right now? How’s their military holding together?”

  “Since our last confrontation? Not bad,” he said, tapping his chin. “We have their flagship, but the rest are still intact. The leadership was disjointed afterwards, according to my sources. The loss of Brigham was—significant.”

  “Was it?” I asked, bending my mouth and cocking my brow. I had no love for the old man, even in death, and I wasn’t ashamed to show it. “How’s the government doing?”

  “The Union and the Sarkonians broke their agreement not long after our victory, and they’ve both resumed their push into the Deadlands. Over the last few weeks, they’ve had many hostile encounters with each other.”

  “Good. Let them fight it out,” said Abigail.

  Freddie crossed his arms. “Why are you asking about the Union, Captain?”

  I was quiet for a moment, still putting my thoughts together. I’d never cared for either the Union or the Sarkonians, but I knew I’d have to put that hatred aside for now. I couldn’t let my own stubborn animosities be the reason we lost this world and all that we’d worked toward.

  I had to be better.

  “I believe I know why,” said Alphonse, pulling my attention from my thoughts. When our eyes met, he gave me a half-smile. “But I should caution you, Captain. They’ll stab us in the back as soon as we’ve won.”

  “I know,” I said, and it was true. “But I also know we need them.”

  “Wait a second,” said Freddie. “What exactly are we talking about here?”

  “An alliance,” I said.

  “Between three enemies?” asked Abigail.

  “Against another,” I finished. “You saw how strong that one Celestial was. For gods’ sakes, it was unarmed and alone on unfamiliar territory and it still managed to do all of this damage. We’ve all heard the stories from Leif. If we don’t find a way to build our numbers, we might not survive a legitimate attack. Imagine what a fleet of them could do against us.”

  She didn’t answer.

  “How are we going to convince them?” asked Freddie.

  I nodded to Sigmond. Instantly, a holo appeared to my left, showing the Celestial’s corpse, back when it had been brought from the underground facility. “We’ll show them exactly what we’re up against,” I said, nodding at the image. “And if that doesn’t work, we’ll find another way, because none of us has a choice in this. None of us can afford to let the others do the fighting, because if we lose, then everyone loses. The whole damn galaxy is on the line.”

  “You’re serious,” said Abigail, blinking at me.

  “I am,” I said, firmly. “There’s a war coming, and we need to get ahead of it.”

  Freddie gulped, then scratched his hand. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m with you.”

  “As am I,” said Alphonse.

  I looked at Abigail, never one to speak for her. We all had our problems with the Union, but hers ran deeper than most. She’d witnessed Lex’s torture, fought to keep her alive. If anyone chose to stay behind on this one, I wagered it might be her.

  She glanced at the holo, like she wanted to remind herself of what was at stake, and then she looked at me again. “This is insane,” she said, an almost annoyed tone in her voice, and then she rolled her eyes. “When do we leave?”

  Author Notes

  Boy, what a wild ride! Thank you so much for picking up this latest entry in the Renegade saga. I have to admit, life has been so hectic lately, but I’ve been working hard to get this book out. I know it was late, but hopefully the wait was worth it.

  Over the last few months, I’ve been trying to move across the country, as many in the Renegade Readers Facebook Group are well aware. This has been quite the experience, let me tell you, but it’s been so much fun. I was extremely fortunate to find a great
house to rent, and I’m really looking forward to sitting in the new office and writing Renegade Union (book 9).

  On top of that, we recently released a brand new series in the Renegade universe, titled Orion Colony. This was a story developed by Jonathan Yanez and myself, set two thousand years before the first Renegade Star book. In it, we get to see a glimpse at Earth’s culture and the mass Transient exodus. It’s a fun story with a lot of interesting surprises.

  Additionally, I released a standalone novel called Nameless, which follows Abigail as she learns how to be an assassin. If you like this character, please check it out.

  So, what comes next for our band of misfits? That’s the real question. Well, I’ve got some fun adventures in store for them in the near future. As you saw from the epilogue, their next task is establishing alliances with former enemies, all in an effort to prepare for the inevitable war that is to come. It’s going to be a wild ride as we continue to move forward into the Celestial storyline, with additional mysteries and answers set to be revealed. I hope you’ll join me, because the story is only going to get bigger and better.

  In the meantime, thanks for reading, Renegades. I’ll see you soon!

  JN Chaney

  PS. Amazon won’t tell you when the next Renegade book will come out, but there are several ways you can stay informed.

  1) Fly on over to the Facebook group, JN Chaney’s Renegade Readers, and say hello. It’s a great place to hang with other sarcastic sci-fi readers who don’t mind a good laugh.

  2) Follow me directly on Amazon. To do this, head to the store page for this book (or my Amazon author profile) and click the Follow button beneath my picture. That will prompt Amazon to notify you when I release a new book. You’ll just need to check your emails.

  3) You can join my mailing list by clicking here. This will allow me to stay in touch with you directly, and you’ll also receive a free copy of The Amber Project.

  Doing one of these or all three (for best results) will ensure you know every time a new entry in the Renegade Star series is published. Please take a moment to do one of these so you’ll be able to join Jace, Abigail, and Lex on their next galaxy-spanning adventure.

  Preview: The Amber Project

  Documents of Historical, Scientific, and Cultural Significance

  Play Audio Transmission File 021

  Recorded April 19, 2157

  CARTWRIGHT: This is Lieutenant Colonel Felix Cartwright. It’s been a week since my last transmission and two months since the day we found the city…the day the world fell apart. If anyone can hear this, please respond.

  If you’re out there, no doubt you know about the gas. You might think you’re all that’s left. But if you’re receiving this, let me assure you, you are not alone. There are people here. Hundreds, in fact, and for now, we’re safe. If you can make it here, you will be, too.

  The city’s a few miles underground, not far from El Rico Air Force Base. That’s where my people came from. As always, the coordinates are attached. If anyone gets this, please respond. Let us know you’re there…that you’re still alive.

  End Audio File

  April 14, 2339

  Maternity District

  MILES BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH, deep within the walls of the last human city, a little boy named Terry played quietly with his sister in a small two-bedroom apartment.

  Today was his very first birthday. He was turning seven.

  “What’s a birthday?” his sister Janice asked, tugging at his shirt. She was only four years old and had recently taken to following her big brother everywhere he went. “What does it mean?”

  Terry smiled, eager to explain. “Mom says when you turn seven, you get a birthday. It means you grow up and get to start school. It’s a pretty big deal.”

  “When will I get a birthday?”

  “You’re only four, so you have to wait.”

  “I wish I was seven,” she said softly, her thin black hair hanging over her eyes. “I want to go with you.”

  He got to his feet and began putting the toy blocks away. They had built a castle together on the floor, but Mother would yell if they left a mess. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. I promise, okay?”

  “Okay!” she said cheerily and proceeded to help.

  Right at that moment, the speaker next to the door let out a soft chime, followed by their mother’s voice. “Downstairs, children,” she said. “Hurry up now.”

  Terry took his sister’s hand. “Come on, Jan,” he said.

  She frowned, squeezing his fingers. “Okay.”

  They arrived downstairs, their mother nowhere to be found.

  “She’s in the kitchen,” Janice said, pointing at the farthest wall. “See the light-box?”

  Terry looked at the locator board, although his sister’s name for it worked just as well. It was a map of the entire apartment, with small lights going on and off in different colors depending on which person was in which room. There’s us, he thought, green for me and blue for Janice, and there’s Mother in red. Terry never understood why they needed something like that because of how small the apartment was, but every family got one, or so Mother had said.

  As he entered the kitchen, his mother stood at the far counter sorting through some data on her pad. “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Something for work,” she said. She tapped the front of the pad and placed it in her bag. “Come on, Terrance, we’ve got to get you ready and out the door. Today’s your first day, after all, and we have to make a good impression.”

  “When will he be back?” asked Janice.

  “Hurry up. Let’s go, Terrance,” she said, ignoring the question. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “We have about twenty minutes to get all the way to the education district. Hardly enough time at all.” Her voice was sour. He had noticed it more and more lately, as the weeks went on, ever since a few months ago when that man from the school came to visit. His name was Mr. Huxley, one of the few men who Terry ever had the chance to talk to, and from the way Mother acted—she was so agitated—he must have been important.

  “Terrance,” his mother’s voice pulled him back. “Stop moping and let’s go.”

  Janice ran and hugged him, wrapping her little arms as far around him as she could. “Love you,” she said.

  “Love you, too.”

  “Bye,” she said, shyly.

  He kissed her forehead and walked to the door where his mother stood talking with the babysitter, Ms. Cartwright. “I’ll only be a few hours,” Mother said. “If it takes any longer, I’ll message you.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing, Mara,” Ms. Cartwright assured her. “You take all the time you need.”

  Mother turned to him. “There you are,” she said, taking his hand. “Come on, or we’ll be late.”

  As they left the apartment, Mother’s hand tugging him along, Terry tried to imagine what might happen at school today. Would it be like his home lessons? Would he be behind the other children, or was everything new? He enjoyed learning, but there was still a chance the school might be too hard for him. What would he do? Mother had taught him some things, like algebra and English, but who knew how far along the other kids were by now?

  Terry walked quietly down the overcrowded corridors with an empty, troubled head. He hated this part of the district. So many people on the move, brushing against him, like clothes in an overstuffed closet.

  He raised his head, nearly running into a woman and her baby. She had wrapped the child in a green and brown cloth, securing it against her chest. “Excuse me,” he said, but the lady ignored him.

  His mother paused and looked around. “Terrance, what are you doing? I’m over here,” she said, spotting him.

  “Sorry.”

  They waited together for the train, which was running a few minutes behind today.

  “I wish they’d hurry up,” said a nearby lady. She was young, about fifteen years old. “Do you think it’s because of the outbreak
?”

  “Of course,” said a much older woman. “Some of the trains are busy carrying contractors to the slums to patch the walls. It slows the others down because now they have to make more stops.”

  “I heard fourteen workers died. Is it true?”

  “You know how the gas is,” she said. “It’s very quick. Thank God for the quarantine barriers.”

  Suddenly, there was a loud smashing sound, followed by three long beeps. It echoed through the platform for a moment, vibrating along the walls until it was gone. Terry flinched, squeezing his mother’s hand.

  “Ouch,” she said. “Terrance, relax.”

  “But the sound,” he said.

  “It’s the contractors over there.” She pointed to the other side of the tracks, far away from them. It took a moment for Terry to spot them, but once he did, it felt obvious. Four of them stood together. Their clothes were orange, with no clear distinction between their shirts and their pants, and on each of their heads was a solid red plastic hat. Three of them were holding tools, huddled against a distant wall. They were reaching inside of it, exchanging tools every once in a while, until eventually the fourth one called them to back away. As they made some room, steam rose from the hole, with a puddle of dark liquid forming at the base. The fourth contractor handled a machine several feet from the others, which had three legs and rose to his chest. He waved the other four to stand near him and pressed the pad on the machine. Together, the contractors watched as the device flashed a series of small bright lights. It only lasted a few seconds. Once it was over, they gathered close to the wall again and resumed their work.

  “What are they doing?” Terry asked.

  His mother looked down at him. “What? Oh, they’re fixing the wall, that’s all.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Probably because there was a shift last night. Remember when the ground shook?”

  Yeah, I remember, he thought. It woke me up. “So they’re fixing it?”

  “Yes, right.” She sighed and looked around. “Where is that damned train?”

  Terry tugged on her hand. “That lady over there said it’s late because of the gas.”