He took a deep breath. “My wife traced both our family trees. We discovered I got family goin’ all the way back to colonial times. Got ancestors fought for independence against the British. Got ancestors fought for the Union and the Confederacy. One even married a freed slave after the war, so I even got a part of that history in my blood, sad as it was. But one thing I can say about my family is they were all patriots in their own way. They believed in God and country.”
He cleared his throat, suppressing emotion. “When the Mexico Memos came out, I was…what’s the word? Disillusioned. So much it put a strain on my marriage…even to this day. Then when the referendum passed to shutter the Colorado government, I felt lost. Everything my family fought for was slippin’ away. I wished I hadn’t lived to see it all happen. I’d rather’ve died fightin’ for my country than live to see it go away like it wasn’t ever there.”
He paused, once again touching the alterations on his face. “I gotta lotta issues with this whole anarchy thing we got goin’ on in Colorado. I voted no on the referendum. But I also believe in treatin’ people decent. There’s nothin’ decent about the ‘Christian’ States of America. There sure as shit nothin’ decent about traffickin’ kids for…” he shook his head, “I said after that rescue that you gave us all somethin’ to fight for. I probably shouldn’t have spoke for others, but it’s true of me. If I die fightin’ the vultures scavengin’ at the corpse of the United States, I think I’ll have done my ancestors proud.”
I stayed quiet, watching as he pulled a flask out from the compartment between the seats and took a swig. He swallowed and held the silver container out to me. I was about to refuse but shrugged and took it from him, taking a mouthful of the fiery liquid.
“Holy shit,” I coughed, feeling the burn claw its way down my throat as I handed it back to him.
“Homemade,” he grinned weakly, taking another swig before closing the cap and putting it away.
“Well, I’m glad to have you on board,” I said, still grimacing at the burning sensation in my throat.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, clearing his throat as he reigned in his emotions, “I think that’s enough with the touchy-feely crap for one night, yeah? It’s been a long day and I think I’m gonna try catchin’ some shut-eye.”
“Sure,” I said, “probably a good idea.”
He lowered the seat back, allowing him to lay down as the car continued navigating the road, maintaining two hundred twenty miles per hour, yet moving remarkably smooth. I did the same with my seat, feeling the alcohol buzz come over me as the vibrating car soothed me to sleep.
It quickly became a restless sleep. The homemade bourbon wasn’t able to dull the same restless dreams that had plagued me the past three nights, since the hallucination in the hospital. When sleep came, so did my mind’s attempt to recapitulate what I experienced. I didn’t know what was more maddening – the hallucination, or my minds interminable, yet futile attempts to try envisioning them again. A feeling like having a word on the tip of my tongue, knowing that remembering it would cause great pain, all the while being unable to stop trying.
I remained in that place that wasn’t quite sleep yet not quite awake. The wind passing across the car was a distant ambience to the moving, folding, roiling shapes. And when I was about to-
“Looks like we got trouble,” Reynolds’ voice tore me away from the dream.
I opened my eyes, finding only faint light from the car’s display. All around darkness shrouded the earth, lit only by the stars. Reynolds had his hands on the steering wheel.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re comin’ up on Dodge City,” Reynolds said, “but it’s blacked out. No power. No internet. Car’s navigation’s out. Should we find some way around?”
“No,” I said, “let’s not draw unneeded attention. Maybe we can find out what’s happening.”
“Sure thing,” he said, turning the headlights on and accelerating forward.
Chapter 27
Night engulfed the roads. Houses and businesses stood dark, streetlamps black. The only sources of light came from flashlights, candles, and other car’s headlights. Through my bionic eye I could clearly see people wandering the streets, chatting in small groups, confused.
“Don’t look like anyone knows what’s goin’ on,” Colonel Reynolds said as he manually navigated us down the streets.
“No,” I said, “it’s a complete blackout…can’t get online to see what the news says…” I kept my vision out the window, looking at the faces of people watching us go by.
The streets were mostly devoid of other vehicles. The few driving about were police cars – mostly CSA agents ignoring us as they hurried toward some destination. Colonel Reynolds had to dodge around self-driving trucks stopped on the road. The eerie quiet outside was broken only by the soft whir of our car’s electric motor.
“Think it’d do any good to ask someone?” Reynolds said.
I shrugged, “might be.”
Reynolds pulled up to a group of three people out on the sidewalk – a couple talking to another guy, presumably the neighbor – and letting down my window.
He called to them, “hey.”
“Hi,” the husband said, squinting, trying to see us in the dark.
“We’re just travelin’ through,” Reynolds said, “was wonderin’ what’s goin’ on here?”
“Not sure,” the husband answered, taking a few steps closer to the car, “I asked a CSA officer, but he wasn’t too helpful. But the way they’re scurryin’ around here they must know what’s goin’ on.”
“City officer told me he thinks it’s a cyber-attack,” the neighbor said, “maybe those forty-eights from Colorado.”
The husband nodded, “whatever it is, it’s taken down the whole city. Power. Water. Mesh networks. Everything.”
I glanced to Reynolds, his jaw clenched tight, eyes focused on something in his AR contacts.
“When did it happen?” I asked.
“Less’n an hour ago,” the husband said, looking back to his wife, “maybe forty minutes?”
The wife shook her head, “it’s hard to know without a working clock. It’s almost like-
“I’m able to connect,” Reynolds said, “internet’s back up.”
I looked back out to the locals, “Your internet come back on?”
“Mine’s up,” the neighbor said.
“I took mine out and left them in the house,” the wife said, “can you find what’s going on?”
“Not just that,” Reynolds said, “someone’s given locations in the city. Says it’s for the folks responsible.”
“How come the lights aren’t back on yet?” the wife said.
“Thanks for the help,” I said to them. They didn’t notice, becoming preoccupied with the return of their internet.
Colonel Reynolds started the car rolling down the street again, my window going up. I could see other people heading back into their houses, others standing on the sidewalk, eyes focused on their ARs.
“I still can’t connect to any local mesh networks,” I said, “they don’t even show up.”
Aaron Reynolds grunted.
“Let’s check out one of the locations,” I said.
We made our way down the road a few blocks before turning a corner, pulling up in front of one the marked houses. It was just as dark as all the other ones, but my bionic eye could catch movement through the front window. Someone was peering through the blinds.
“I’m going to go talk to them,” I said, “pull forward a few houses.”
Colonel Reynolds grunted, but said nothing. I got out of the car, looking left and right to make sure no police were coming and then trotted toward the house. Whoever was looking out the blinds wasn’t there anymore.
I looked back, seeing the car roll slowly away down the street, coming to a stop a few doors down. I got up onto the stoop and knocked loudly. Nobody answered. I knocked again.
Movement out of the corner of my eye.
Someone running from the backyard of the house. I took off after them.
Whoever it was ran incredibly fast. I sprinted full bore, but they easily pulled away. Colonel Reynolds cut them off, running onto the sidewalk. The figure dodged left, out onto the street around him. I got up to Reynolds, who gazed after the figure in surprise. Without saying anything, we both jumped into the car. Reynolds accelerated forward.
The figure swung left down another street. They bolted at incredible speed. Reynolds had to accelerate over the speed limit. Even at thirty miles per hour, the person maintained the gap. The figure veered right down another intersection. Reynolds swore, hitting the breaks to turn. The figure stopped, seeing another house with flashing police lights in front of it – three CSA cars.
Without thinking, I jumped out the door as Reynolds rolled to a stop. The figure stood, transfixed on the police blockade, distracted enough for me to get close. They looked back, seeing me approach, and ran the other way. Too late. Reynolds cut them off, wrapping his arms around the hooded figure, bringing them to the ground. I caught up just as my breath loss seemed to catch up to me.
“Get off!” the figure hissed in a woman’s voice, struggling against Colonel Reynolds strong grip.
The sweatpants over her legs bulged with the frame of exoskeleton leggings, hydraulic bars showing through the fabric. That’s what allowed her to run as fast as she did.
“We’re trying to help,” I whispered.
“Fuck you,” she snarled again, “they’re going to catch me.”
“Get in the car and we’ll get you out of here,” I whispered, glancing up to see the officers running toward the house, guns drawn.
“Why should I believe you?” she said, but was no longer struggling.
“What choice do you have?”
“Tell this asshole to let go of me then,” she said.
“You gonna run off?” he asked.
“I won’t even be able to get up with these things on my legs,” she said, “great for running and balance, but a pain in the ass if you actually manage to fall down.”
Reynolds glanced to me and then removed his arms, bringing himself to his feet. As the woman said, she stayed on the ground, the hydraulic leggings not flexible enough to get up without something to hang onto.
“Are you going to help me up or what?” she asked.
Colonel Reynolds and I each grabbed an arm, helping her to her feet. She removed the hood, staring back at me with two bionic eyes. I could clearly see the red and blue flashers of the police cruisers reflecting off the sweat covering her dark black skin. She had long, thick braids of jet-black hair sprawling wildly from her head, tucked into the hooded sweatshirt. She looked to be in her late twenties. I made sure to get a picture. She raised an eyebrow, seeing my own bionic eye.
“Let’s go before them agents see us,” Reynolds said, signaling to the car.
Without saying anything, the two of us followed the order. The exo leggings gave the woman a strange gait. She sighed, opening the back-driver’s side door and got in, lying across the backseat and started messing with the leggings. As soon as we were all in, Colonel Reynolds started moving forward.
“Are you gonna drive by them?” the woman asked, anxious.
“I want to see what they’re doing,” he said. “if we can-”
He was cut off when a city police cruiser approached from the other direction, skidding to a stop in front of the house. Reynolds stopped the car. Two officers scrambled out of the cruiser, trotting toward the house as the gray uniformed CSA agents dragged someone out the front door. I glanced at Reynolds, seeing him glare stoically out the windshield. I zoomed toward the house with my bionic eye, seeing the teenage boy being dragged out up close.
“The police are just eating up the accusations?” I asked without looking back to Colonel Reynolds.
“They’re more than willing to do that if they were already looking for them,” the woman said.
“Who are they?” I asked, “who are the targets?”
The woman said nothing, turning her head away from me.
Both city police officers shouted at the CSA agents, but they ignored him. The teenage boy was thrown to his knees, wrists handcuffed behind his back. One city police officer was pointing at the boy, arguing with the CSA officers. I could see the teenager shake with sobs.
I let out my breath, looking to Reynolds as he turned the car around and started moving away slowly.
“I think this was the work of the same virus that-”
A gunshot went off. I twirled my head around, zooming in with my bionic eye seeing the boy lay dead where he had knelt, shot execution style. The CSA agent holstered his pistol.
“Christ,” I said, turning back to Colonel Reynolds, “they just killed him.”
He shook his head.
The woman in the back sniffled and cleared her throat before saying, “they know nobody can watch them right now. CSA will purge the entire city if they can get away with it.”
“Should we try helping?” Reynolds asked.
I paused a moment, thinking about it before saying, “No. I don’t think there’s much we could do, and all we’d accomplish is exposing ourselves. We need to get out of here as fast as we can.”
Colonel Aaron Reynolds said nothing, only clenching his jaw tighter as he focused his attention on driving. He followed all of the street signs exactly as we navigated our way out of the city, trying to avoid the other houses named as perpetrators. As much to avoid seeing more executions as to avoid being seen ourselves.
“Who are you people?” the woman finally asked as we neared the edge of the city.
“Just people passing through,” I said without looking back.
“You’re from the LoC, aren’t you?” she asked.
Neither of us said anything.
The woman forced a laugh, “smart of you to say nothing. I’m guessin’ you’re forty-eights?
Reynolds and I exchanged glances.
“Either way, you might not get past the checkpoint with me in the car.”
“Why are you so important to them?” I asked, “why were you and these other people targeted?”
She exhaled slowly, “I’ll tell you what. If you let me outta this car, I’ll find my way to the LoC and tell you all about it.”
“How about you tell us now?” I said.
“I don’t even know who you are,” she said, “Why should I trust you?”
“Why would we trust you?” I asked.
“The only thing you need to trust me on right now is that you won’t get outta the city unless you let me go,” she said.
I looked to Colonel Reynolds again, but he kept his eyes on the road, jaw clenched. We were getting nearer the checkpoint to leave the city.
“We can get through,” I said, “they don’t have their facial recognition software without power. It’ll be quicker if you just-”
“Listen,” the woman said, “I’m pretty sure that what we want is quite similar. If we can show each other trust on this, I think we can help each other out.”
“You seem to know a lot more about us than we do about you,” I said, “the trust is more on our end than on yours.”
“Fine,” she said, “I’m guessin’ you’ve been contacted by someone with a scrambled voice?”
“Yeah…” I said.
“What scrambled voice?” Reynolds asked without taking his eyes off the road.
“She’s trying to kill the Anonymous Knights,” the woman said, “I thought I’d tracked her down to Topeka, but it was a trap.”
“How do you know she’s after the AKs?” I asked, “and how do you know she’s a she?”
“I know she’s after the AKs because I’m an AK,” she said, “and I know she’s a she because she’s Kali Sanyai.”
“Kali Sanyai?” I said, “you’re saying she’s in Kansas? I don’t understand. Why would Kali be trying to kill the AKs?”
The woman sighed. “She’s not in Kansas anymore, Dor
othy. Actually, she never was. She knows I’m after her, so she set a trap. I think she wanted it to look like we were trying to free her buddy Tory Goodwin.”
Reynolds and I exchanged glances.
“Why are you after her?” I asked.
“To put an end to her heresy,” she said, and I’m not stoppin’ until I do.”
We reached the dark checkpoint booth on the west side of town. CSA agents and city police officers watched us approach. It ended up taking us over half an hour getting through. Without their RFVID scanners and facial recognition software, everything had to be done manually and the officers from both jurisdictions spent most of the time arguing and clearing things with all number of superiors. Relief was paired with a sick feeling in my stomach when we finally got out onto the highway again.
“You think we’ll help you get to Kali Sanyai?” I asked.
“I know you will,” she said, “you know who she is. You’ve already travelled to India to see her.”
“What heresy is she guilty of?”
“Thinking she’s superior to God,” the woman said.
None of us said much else for the ride back to the LoC. As soon as Reynolds was able to put the car on self-drive mode, he opened up the compartment in the middle and took out the flask, taking a long drink from it before holding it out to me. I didn’t think twice about obliging this time.
“Dodge City wasn’t the only place where it happened,” Beatrix Brie said, staring into her AR contacts, “Wellington, Junction City, Saint Joseph, Valley Center, Blue Springs, and Leavenworth. All of them in Kansas.”
There hadn’t been much time to rest after getting back to Cortez the next morning. We called a hasty meeting at the LoC Security Cortez offices to figure out how to proceed.
Incarnate- Essence Page 49
