by Jackie D
“Thank you,” Kaelyn whispered.
* * *
Several minutes later, in what seemed like a blur, Kaelyn found herself in the back seat of a transport next to Macy Steele. Valor was in the driver’s seat and Arrow sat next to him. Everyone was busy typing things into a variety of devices. She gave herself a moment to pretend Arrow’s arms were still around her. She knew as it was happening that she was etching those seconds into her mind. A piece she’d hold on to as long as her memory would allow. The strength in Arrow’s arms, the way she seemed to wrap her in a barrier of protection from everything they were about to face. The unknowns, the questions, the unwritten future, seemed to fade away in the circle of calm Arrow provided. Kaelyn would remain thankful to her for those few precious moments.
The vehicle hummed to life and started to move forward. Macy handed her a flat metal plate. She pushed a blue button, and a holographic screen appeared. Kaelyn wasn’t sure what to make of all the technological advancements, but she was still awestruck when they were put in front of her. The Guardian emblem hovered above the plate, slowly spinning clockwise. She put her fingers through it, needing to see if it was as solid as it looked. When she did, she felt the smallest buzz on her fingertips as they went through the emblem and out the other side.
Macy gave her a set of headphones and smiled. “CAM put together some information for you. You’ll still have questions, but it will help get you up to speed.”
“Up to speed with what?” asked Kaelyn.
“Everything.”
Everything. The prospect was overwhelming but necessary. She placed the buds in her ears, and Macy pushed a different button. Images appeared in front of her. The narrator was CAM, and she couldn’t help but marvel at the calmness her voice inspired. It was rather soothing as the history she’d missed started to unfold in front of her.
Kaelyn was horrified and angry at what she was seeing. MacLeod had plainly and openly convinced an entire portion of the population that he was their only source of protection, that he alone could save them from what would be their inevitable demise. He took all the beautiful things about the country and painted them with an evil brush. Immigration was a threat, the press was a threat, fellow citizens were considered threats. He tossed out phrases like liberal cancer and railed against long respected policies and ethics. Even the worst-case scenarios she’d once envisioned had never included the atrocity of seeing democracy so clearly being torn down, while so many citizens stood by and watched it happen.
She felt the tears begin to roll down her cheeks as she watched people from the LGBTQ community marched into internment camps, and trans people stoned in their neighborhoods. Black churches were burned to the ground and protestors shot in the streets. Images of people of color starving and forced out of their makeshift shelters at gunpoint were nauseating.
“Pull over.” Kaelyn managed between deep breaths. She was reaching for a handle, but there wasn’t one. “Seriously, pull over, now.”
The vehicle came to a halt, and the door started to lift open. Kaelyn unclasped her seat belt and fell from the car. As soon as the dirt hit her knees, she began to vomit. She could feel the sweat drip from her neck, and her vision blurred. There were so many emotions demanding to be let out of her all at once, she couldn’t contain them.
Footsteps approached as she felt her body force out more liquid, trying to purge itself of all the injustice and pain she’d just witnessed. She was crying and coughing at the same time, her body incapable of dealing with the truth of the world.
“Kaelyn?”
She felt Arrow’s hand on her back. It moved in a deliberate pattern, an attempt to console her. She grabbed as much dirt as her hands would allow, balling her fists and squeezing the earth as hard as she could. She wanted to scream, to cry. She wanted to go back in time and stop this evil with a bullet to MacLeod’s head.
“It’s just so horrible.” Kaelyn sobbed, letting out the devastation of what she’d seen.
Arrow knelt next to her. She had an arm around her and was still rubbing her arm. “We can set things right.”
Kaelyn turned her head into Arrow’s shoulder. “I should’ve stayed. I could’ve done more.”
Arrow spoke against the side of her head. “You couldn’t have stopped any of what happened. The country caught a disease. A disease that almost wiped it out completely. But we’re still here and we’re still fighting.”
“Fighting? You’ve been hiding for an entire generation!” She wasn’t angry at Arrow, but she couldn’t stop herself from taking it out on her, either.
“I know it must seem like that to you. But an illness like that, there was no easy solution. It’s almost like the country needed to be completely broken in order to heal,” Arrow said.
“What if it never heals?” She knew Arrow couldn’t answer the question with any kind of certainty, but she wanted her reassurance all the same.
“Breaks never heal completely. You’ll always feel them a little. They’re always there. But the reminder serves a purpose too. It makes you a little more cautious, a little more delicate. It reminds you what caused the wound, and not to do that thing again.” Her voice was so calm and confident. “As a historian, you know exactly what I mean.”
Kaelyn wanted to crawl into her arms and just stay there until this feeling passed. But there was no time for that now.
Kaelyn stood, her arm still on Arrow’s shoulder. “Okay.”
Arrow led her back to the transport and watched as she got back in her seat. She looked at Macy when she was situated. “I’m sorry.”
Macy patted her knee. “If you’d had any other reaction, I’d wonder if you were the right person for the job.”
She wanted to smile at her comment, but she didn’t have it in her. Instead, she put the buds back in her ears and continued to watch the nightmare she’d slept through play out in front of her in a series of images.
Chapter Thirteen
“What do you mean a small group of them left?” Adon could feel his blood pressure rising with each word.
“Just what we said, sir. A few of the Guardians went to discuss the premise of coming back to Eden with one of the other colonies.” Commander whatever-his-name-was fidgeted. His eyes were darting back and forth, and he looked nervous.
Adon leaned forward on the desk. He wanted to reach into the hologram projection and squeeze the moron’s neck. He should have never sent these incompetent idiots to the colonies. He should’ve sent his daughter, like he’d originally wanted.
Nora put her hand on his arm, and he relaxed slightly. “We have another soldier en route to the other colony. He’ll cut them off there. Have you spoken with their leader?”
The commander nodded. “Yes, and we ran a check on the Computer Analysis Monitoring System. Everything seems to be on the up-and-up.”
Adon ended the call without saying another word. He didn’t want to hear any more of his incompetent drivel. “Doesn’t make any sense.”
Nora sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. “I agree. They could’ve easily made a transmission call. But maybe we’re giving them too much credit. They’ve been playing soldier for decades with those Guardians, with no real enemy to fight. Maybe they feel more important if they have this kind of meeting face-to-face.”
Adon appreciated the sentiment, but he didn’t share her optimism. “They might not be well educated, but don’t underestimate the Resistance. They’ve been fed the same lies for years. They have an enemy, and it’s us.”
“We’ve always left them alone, for the most part. We haven’t given them a reason to be plotting our demise. You’ve been more than benevolent to let them continue to exist. I don’t think they’ll risk that.”
Adon scratched at his beard, trying to allow her words to calm his suspicions. “You weren’t around when your grandfather first came into power. Dorothy Trapp, Daniel Trapp’s wife, was a manipulative and vengeful woman. She hated your grandfather for asking her to take her place
in society. She fought him at every turn with her vile words and accusations. She went out of her way to embarrass him, to shame him, and dig up all the dirt she could after the pipe bomb exploded that killed her husband. She was a nasty woman. She spent years in those colonies, filling their heads with poison. I can only assume they hold her up as some kind of saint now, wanting to follow in her footsteps.”
“You’ve told me, but she died years ago. Plus, women no longer hold any political power in the Resistance. And what man would dare to challenge or question you?”
He rubbed the small coin in his pocket. His father had given it to him when he pushed the Resistance out to the far ends of the country. He had eliminated their current monetary system and put a new one in its place. Each coin had a bust of his father’s face on one side and a cross on the other.
“All the same, put a statement together telling Eden of our plans to bring in another working population. Everyone will be moving up the ladder, placing the Resistance at the bottom. That way, even if they’re up to something, it will fall on deaf ears. People won’t see them as anything but a stepping stone, a group of people to take over their daily responsibilities.”
Nora was jotting down notes. She stopped when he was done speaking. She tapped the stylus against the tablet. “Should we ready the fighting force?”
“Not yet. That gives the impression that we have something to be afraid of, and they’re just a bunch of misfits without a home.” He paused and looked at the large map that was on the back wall of the room. “But I think we should triple the drone patrols out over the lost lands. Keep an eye on things.”
She stood, pulling the tablet to her chest. “Yes, Daddy.”
Chapter Fourteen
Arrow checked the time and was surprised it had only been eight hours. It felt like a lifetime. She’d only take her eyes off the specter monitor for fleeting moments when it was absolutely necessary. The specter was able to evaluate objects within a half-mile of their transport. It was capable of a much longer range, but dialing in to that intensity would send out a larger magnetic frequency, making them easier to locate.
The transport turned into a small village that at one time served as a suburb of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Valor changed the transport into manual drive and maneuvered along the back streets until they came to a small building. Arrow jumped out and pulled the old door open, allowing the transport to enter.
Kaelyn got out of the car and looked around. “What is this, an old mechanic’s shop?”
Arrow slid the old locking mechanism into place and pulled on the door, making sure it was secure. “Yeah, we’ll be safe here.”
“So, you know these people?” Kaelyn asked, her brow furrowed as she looked around.
Arrow knew she’d just spent eight long hours watching some of the most horrific footage she’d ever been exposed to. It wasn’t bloody, but it did show how the soul of her beloved nation had been stolen and crushed. Now, only pieces remained. Pieces they were trying to put back together.
A door opened, and a beautiful and familiar smile radiated from the doorway. She shuffled down the stairs and threw her arms around Arrow.
Arrow welcomed the embrace and kissed her cheek. “Hi, Ms. Darcy. How are you?”
She smacked Arrow’s arm. “Stop calling me that. You make me feel about a hundred years old.” She walked over to Valor next and pulled him down by the neck. “Nephew, I swear you get bigger every time I see you.”
Valor beamed in her embrace. “You look great, Aunt Lily. I’ve missed you and I’ve been worried about you. How’s your health?”
She put her hands on his cheeks, inspecting him. “You have far more important things to do than to worry about me.”
She let him go and moved on to the next in line. “Madam President.”
Her mother shook her head and stretched out her arms. “Don’t you dare call me that, Lily. Thank you so much for having us. I hope we didn’t put you in unnecessary danger.”
She laughed. “At my age, I’m always looking for a little excitement.”
Kaelyn stretched out her hand when Lily made it to her. “Nice to meet you Ms. Darcy, I’m—”
Lily cut her off. “Kaelyn Trapp, or Phoenix One. I know who you are, sweetheart.” She looked at her thoughtfully. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Kaelyn studied her face. She looked like she was right at the tipping point of remembering, scouring her brain for a piece of information she knew was there, hiding.
“Oh, my God!” Kaelyn smiled and grabbed Lily, hugging her tightly. “You worked in the executive residence at the White House, for my parents.”
“One of the greatest honors of my life, working for them. I was just a kid when you knew me, twenty-two years old and thinking I could change the world.” She sighed. “Now, I’m old enough to be your great-grandmother. But you, you’re still as beautiful as ever. Come on inside. You all must be starving.”
Arrow was transfixed on Kaelyn as the anguish of the day slid from her expression as she talked to Lily. It’d been the right call to come here. Giving Kaelyn even the smallest piece of familiarity was the least she could do for her. She knew the risk had been worth it when Kaelyn walked by and squeezed her hand, smiling from ear to ear. Arrow didn’t know how many of those smiles would be left the closer they got to Eden, but she’d do anything to see them as often as possible.
* * *
Kaelyn stepped into the small house that was attached to the old mechanic’s shop. The walls were bare, which wasn’t what she expected. There was a simple brown couch in the living room and a small kitchen table sitting next to it. She didn’t understand how Lily, who was clearly full of life, didn’t allow that to be reflected in her home. It was one thing for it to be that way in the military area, but here that seemed so…sad.
Lily must have seen her looking because she spoke to her from the kitchen. “We can’t keep any personal effects in plain view. The colonies get randomly inspected by the soldiers, and it’s just not worth the hassle.”
“I can’t believe they do that.” Kaelyn grew angry every time she was reminded of these intrusions.
Lily washed some lettuce, put it on a cutting board, and began to chop. “We suffer much less here than in some of the other colonies. We aren’t close to any of the headquarters, so we go through random inspections and occasional harassment, but it isn’t as frequent as the colonies close to headquarters. Hand of God soldiers sometimes come out here and make threats or try to push people around, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. I’m grateful for what I have.”
Macy took the carrots from the bowl and started to chop as well. Lily tried to stop her. “Madam President, you don’t have to do that.”
“Lily, please call me Macy. And I prefer to help.” She smiled at her and continued to chop.
Kaelyn was grateful to be in Lily’s presence, a reminder of her old life and of her parents. She trusted her because of these ties. “Do you think we can pull this off?”
Lily stopped chopping and stared at her. “Kaelyn, the knowledge that you’d eventually be here is what has kept me going. Your family, they embodied the very ideals that we’ve held on to all these years.”
Kaelyn felt every muscle in her body tighten. She felt the weight of all these people, their hopes, aspirations, their dreams, resting solely on her shoulders. Her parents were no longer here to help carry the burden, which meant it would now be up to her. She felt the walls start to close in on her.
“What if people don’t want to listen?” Kaelyn asked as much to herself as to Lily.
Lily put the lettuce into bowls and looked at Macy, who nodded at her. She came around to the end of the couch, where Kaelyn was perched. “I know it’s hard to see it now, but there was a time when I was actually younger than you. Sure, I watched you on television talking to reporters, giving speeches. I even saw you manage the fans that waited outside for you to sign whatever they had. But you know what I remember the most?” She put her
finger under Kaelyn’s chin and brought her eyes up to match hers. “I remember you packing up all the leftover food from the kitchen and taking it to the shelter. I remember your op-ed pieces demanding social justice for women and children. But most of all, I remember how you’d take the time to talk to anyone who felt they had a worthy cause. It didn’t matter what the staff told you, or how trivial they believed it would be. You made sure people felt heard, appreciated, and important. Those traits aren’t taught, easily faked, or easy to come by. You’re going to save us because it’s not just what you were born to do, it’s who you are.”
Every word seeped into Kaelyn. She was grateful not just for Lily’s words but the reminder of who she was and who she’d wanted to be. She hugged her, fighting back the tears of appreciation. “Thank you for that.”
Arrow and Valor came through the door. She caught Arrow’s eyes, who immediately came to her side.
“Is everything okay?”
“Better than okay,” Lily said as she walked back into the kitchen.
Valor put a monitor on the kitchen table and sat in front of it. “We put up some surveillance around the outside of the house. We’ll take it down before we go, Aunt Lily.”
“Do what you need to do to protect these two.” Macy and Lily brought the bowls over to the table. “I’m sorry I don’t have more to offer you.”
Macy shook her head. “Nonsense, it looks wonderful.”
Kaelyn could hear the talking behind her, and it was all registering. But that’s not where her focus was at the moment. She was watching Arrow pull her tactical vest off. Arrow was sweating from whatever task she and Valor had completed outside, and her shirt clung to her torso. She didn’t fully understand how Arrow had this kind of magnetism. A moment before, Kaelyn had been overwhelmed with emotion, trying desperately to regulate so many conflicting feelings. Then, Arrow walked into the room and completed a simple and understandable task like taking off a rather heavy looking vest, and Kaelyn slipped into a small fantasy land comprised of taut muscles and sweaty bodies.
