by Kelli Kimble
“Yeah? Who’s gonna stop me?”
“Me.” A wave of anger had been building up, and I let it go.
Thanos flew across the room and crashed into the opposite wall. He stuck to the wall for a moment, and then he fell to the floor. There was a dent in the wall, and even from where I stood, I could see dust and debris settling. I screamed and rushed towards him. I’d meant to run, but the anger propelled me, and I found myself roaring through the air.
The woman from the tank yelped and rolled out of my way as I came near her.
“You think you can do anything you want?” I accused him. “You think you can just play with people’s lives? How about if I just do what I want?” I pulled my arm back, and my feet hit the ground. I bent to one knee to accommodate my momentum, and then brought my fist down onto his back.
It thudded against his body, and I felt the sickening crunch of something inside him breaking. He let out a muffled, “Oof,” but he didn’t move.
“Face me like a man,” I demanded. I kicked him in the shoulder, turning him over. His face was covered in the blood coming out of his nose. His eyes were closed.
I hauled my foot back, then boosted my physical strength with my mental strength and kicked him in the side. He shot halfway across the room, landing on his side, and then flopping onto his back.
“Stop!” I heard Orthos calling from above us. “Don’t hurt him!”
Orthos. He was the mastermind behind all this. He’d sacrificed his own son to get this far.
It suddenly became clear I hated him even more than I hated Thanos.
I grabbed a hold of him and ripped him towards me, not minding I’d pulled him through a section of the floor. He fell to the ground in front of me. He was even bloodier than Thanos, who moaned and rolled back and forth on his back, like a turtle stuck on its shell.
“Shut up,” I said. Then, I turned to Orthos. “You don’t know what you’ve created. You think you can just use people like this? No.” I stomped my foot, like I used to when I was a toddler. It gave me a moment’s pause; I immediately wished I could take the gesture back.
“You don’t have any creativity,” Orthos said. He spat out some blood — and maybe a tooth — towards my foot, but it fell short. “There are always going to be humans around to use for power. We can’t depend on any other fuel.”
“No,” I said. “Humanity is still on the brink of extinction, and even if we were overpopulating the Earth, using people against their will isn’t right. You can’t do this.”
“You’re a fool, and you’re going to ruin the city. We’re trying to save lives here.”
“By sacrificing less fortunate people to a life of underwater electricity generation?”
He didn’t answer. He glared at me, his eyes defiant and shining with hatred.
I wanted to wipe that look off his face. Before I could talk myself out of it, I kicked him in the teeth. I felt a crunch, and his head snapped back.
“Stop,” someone said from beside me. I turned to find Eneece there. “You don’t need to hurt them anymore. Just put them in one of the tanks.”
Thanos’ eyes widened. “No. Don’t put me in there.”
“It’s perfect,” Eneece said. “They can’t escape. They can’t hurt anyone else, and they’ll provide power for the city.”
“Are any of them empty?” I asked.
“Hers is,” Eneece said, pointing to the woman I’d extracted.
“But how will they survive in there?” I asked. “They have to eat, and, you know, go to the bathroom.”
She turned and tipped her head at me. “You were in there for three weeks. Did you notice a need to do those things?”
“No.”
She nodded. “Time has no meaning when you have nothing to mark it with, and as for biological needs, the water in the boxes is sort of symbiotic. It penetrates your skin and delivers nutrients, while also carrying away waste. You never need to eat or go to the bathroom.”
“But how can you survive, floating in water?” I remembered how wrinkled and misshapen my hands and feet would look after a long stint in the box I’d been trained in. I glanced down at my hands now. They didn’t seem wrinkled at all.
“That’s why the tank drains. It moves in cycles so that you’ll have time to dry off and rest. The wet cycle is when you produce most of the power you’ll generate.”
I looked down at Orthos and Thanos. Orthos was staring at me with utter contempt, his sneer and his missing teeth distorting his mouth into a grim, bloody line.
Thanos, however, looked pathetic. “Please, Nimisila.” He switched to his voice. “Please, don’t put me in the box.”
“You put me in the box,” I said.
“I know.” He started to cry. A giant tear rolled down his cheek, leaving a trail in the blood on his face. “I didn’t want to put you in the box. That’s just how it went. You learned too much, and I couldn’t save you once you had that knowledge.”
I glanced at Eneece. “Is he telling the truth?”
“No,” she said, flat and emotionless. “Don’t believe a word he says.”
“No, I swear, Nim,” Thanos begged. “I swear. I’m telling the truth. I had no choice but to put you in the box.”
“Maybe you’ve left me with no choice but to put you in the box.”
“Enough!” Orthos lurched to his feet and grabbed me by the hair, yanking it back, hard.
I swung my arm out in defense, and my fist caught the side of his cheek, but it didn’t faze him.
He pulled at my hair again, steering me away from Thanos. “You’re not going to put either of us in the box, because I’m going to get rid of you. Like we should have done in the beginning.” He looked pointedly at Thanos, who lowered his eyes to the ground. “You think you’re something special, missy, and I’m sick of it. I’m not going to coddle you any longer.” He pulled my hair again, then pushed it forward to manipulate me.
I was shocked by his initial reaction, but I collected myself. I imagined a thin blade of air slicing through my hair to release myself. My head jerked forward, and I was free.
Orthos started screaming, and when I turned around to look, he was holding what was left of his hand out in horror. A torrent of blood was pumping out of it.
The rest of his hand was on the floor.
“You’re the one who isn’t getting any more coddling,” I said. I mentally picked him up and threw him into the vacant box, then slammed the lid shut.
“No!” Thanos shouted. His voice was getting hoarse. “No, you can’t do that! Don’t do this, Nimisila!”
I turned to look at him, and all hope of pity or mercy was gone. I mentally lifted him, as well. He kicked and clawed at the air. “Which box do I put him in?” I said to Eneece.
She ran to a box and began cranking a handle to release the lid.
“Is it empty?” I asked.
“No, no. Wait. I have to get them out.” She ran off to do so.
Unfortunately, Thanos chose that moment to start getting feisty. “I’m not going to go in there quietly,” he said. Then, my hold on him was broken. He dropped to the ground, landing catlike on his feet. He created a bubble around me.
I screamed. The memory of the pain from the contracting bubble was fresh, and I didn’t want to repeat it, even if I could heal it afterward. A pulse of energy seemed to bound from my heart. The bubble popped, and I dropped back down to the floor.
He conjured up flames and threw them at me. They splashed through the air and around me like liquid, but I deflected them.
The debris from the corner swirled around me in a funnel, inching inward. I knew if it touched me, it would shred my skin and muscle right off my bones. I imagined a powerful downdraft that sucked the funnel to the floor and scattered the debris around me.
Thanos was starting to look panicked. “We’ve fought before,” he said. “You’re not strong enough to beat me.”
Eneece came dashing back to the box, pushing a rolling stepladder ahea
d of her. “Just a few more minutes,” she said.
Thanos generated bolts of electricity. He tried throwing some at me, and they hit the ground near my feet and created a resounding boom that rattled in my chest. They left a charred pit in the cement floor, but he didn’t stop there. He ran to me and grabbed me by the throat. I imagined the electricity conducting back to him, closing the circuit. He flew back from me, landing on his butt a good twelve feet away with a solid thump.
I glanced over at Eneece. She was helping an extremely wobbly man from the box. “Come on, Eneece. I need that box,” I said.
“I know, I know,” she answered. She turned back to the man and tried to help him along. He was naked, too, and I realized he’d probably been in the tank for so long that his clothing had disintegrated — that, or he’d stripped them off for comfort.
The woman had finally gotten to her feet. She caught my eye. “I’m going to distract him so that you can kill him. You’ll only get this one chance.”
I held up my hand to stop her, but it was too late. She ran screaming towards Thanos and jumped onto his back. She reached one hand around and jabbed it into his eye, while her other hand yanked at his hair like it was the reins on a horse. Thanos shrieked and tried to cover his eyes. The woman hopped off his back and jammed her heel down onto each of his insteps. Thanos howled and hobbled away from her, his hands still over his eyes.
“Now! Get him now!” she cried.
I hesitated. I didn’t want to kill him. I glanced up and saw my parents, looking down through the hole. They were embracing, my mother shielding her eyes from what she assumed was coming.
Dad gave the tiniest shake of his head.
I knew then that even if it saved every human being on the planet, I couldn’t kill Thanos.
At least, not now. Not like this.
He stumbled towards me, and I used the opportunity. I lifted him and threw him into the tank the man had vacated. I heard the splash, and I slammed the lid home, just as Thanos struggled to the surface. “No! Please, no!” he screamed.
Then, the cover was in place, and he was silent.
Chapter 17
Eneece stood up at the podium. She looked tall and proud, and I was happy to see she’d easily rallied the city’s support for her as mayor. Behind her and to the side, Ingrid was seated in a cushioned chair. Her white hair was coiffed elegantly, and she wore a nice, new dress. She beamed up at Eneece, who began to speak. “Thank you, everyone. Thank you for coming today,” she said. “It is with a sense of humility I accept the position of mayor of this great city. I know the demise of our previous mayor at the hands of a madman was shocking. I know people want to know why. Why would anyone do something so terrible? What would they have to gain? Power. Power is a terrible corruptor. People who want it will do anything for it, and those who have it will do anything to protect it.”
She stopped for a moment and gripped the podium. Beside me, Red took my hand and squeezed it. A flutter in my chest answered his gesture. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.
“The previous mayor made a mistake,” Eneece continued. “She knew the power plant was running out of fuel, and she knew where to get more fuel, but every team she sent to get it died in the process. She tried several more times to find a way to get the fuel, but nothing worked. A few experimentals recognized this as their chance to gain the power they thought they should have. They believed people with natural telepathic ability were the next level in our evolution. Maybe they are; I can’t say they aren’t. I can tell you I have been blessed with that ability, but I don’t think that makes me better than anybody else. These experimentals put a plan in motion to take advantage of our power crisis. They thought they had a solution to that crisis, and they did, but they allowed their pursuit of power to cloud their judgement. They put innocent lives outside the city at risk, and they proposed the use and abuse of people who couldn’t defend themselves. They felt the underprivileged among us were nothing more than resources to exploit, but that’s not true. Exploitation of anyone is never the answer.” She pointed over her shoulder towards the power plant, the backdrop scenery of her speech.
Then, she continued speaking. Out loud. With a perfectly smooth voice.
“I was one of those underprivileged people. I’m not proud to say I bent to the will of those who would wrestle power for their own. I did it only because he threatened my grandmother.” She turned and smiled at Ingrid.
Ingrid preened under the attention.
“She’s the only family member I still have,” Eneece explained, “and he knew I would do anything to keep him from hurting her. I’m sorry I let you down like that. I’m sorry my actions put others at risk, but when the opportunity came for someone to take back the power from Orthos and Thanos, I stepped in.”
Red squeezed my hand again. I was grateful for the distraction.
“I stopped the woman who saved us. I stopped her from killing Orthos and Thanos,” Eneece continued. “Let me be clear: I know she didn’t want to kill them. She only wanted to do what was right for everyone — what would save us all from their tyranny — but I thought of another way for her to save us, and she did. Nimisila, would you come up here, please?”
I felt my face grow hot. I hadn’t expected Eneece to mention me, let alone call me to stand up and face the people.
“You can do it,” Red whispered.
I nodded and stood, forcing my legs to carry me forward, even though they felt more like jellyfish tentacles. I went to stand beside Eneece.
She put an arm around my shoulders. “I want everyone to know this is Nimisila. She was one of the first experimentals. I’m sorry to say a ribbon of the exploitation of those who couldn’t fight back is woven throughout our city’s history. Nimisila didn’t volunteer to be experimented on. She was drafted against her will, confined, held prisoner, and tortured, but even though our city was responsible for doing that to her, when it came time to stand up for us, it was she who saved us. It was she who successfully confined Orthos and Thanos, so they couldn’t hurt us anymore. In fact, their confinement benefits us because they are now providing enough electricity with their abilities to power the entire city. Her personal sacrifices and her integrity in the face of evil are why I’ve chosen to nominate her to lead the new power program. She will be charged with setting up and executing the new program, as well as safely decommissioning the old plant. As part of her duties, she will also oversee the experimentals. I know a woman like she is will do a wonderful job for us. She will make the program safe, fair, and without bias against the background of the people she impacts.” She turned to me and held out her hand. “Nimisila, thank you for your service to the city and humanity. I humbly offer you this position and hope you will consider accepting my offer.”
It was a good thing my body knew what to do, because my brain seemed to be floating off among the crowd, watching myself, as I returned her handshake and gave a wobbly smile.
The crowd began clapping and cheering, many of them standing up.
I glanced towards Red. He was standing on his chair, whistling and yelling louder than anybody else, and my heart constricted.
Ingrid came over and stood in front of me, shielding me from the crowd. “What do you say, Nimisila? Will you help my granddaughter make a better world?”
“I . . . I think I need to think about it,” I said.
Ingrid smiled. “I know that look. You’re in love,” she said. She guided me away from the podium as Eneece continued her speech.
I nodded, glimpsing Red as he ducked through the crowd towards us. My cheeks felt warm again.
“With a pretty blush like that, it’s no wonder you’ve got an admirer,” Ingrid said. She grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me close for a conspiratorial whisper. “A woman like you is strong enough all on her own.”
“Thanks,” I said, “but if this experience has taught me anything, it’s to hang onto the ones you love.”
“It’s a good lesson to learn,” she sai
d. She released my wrist. “Go on, then. He’s waiting for you.”
I broke away from her and caught sight of Red, bobbing through the crowd again, not far from us. Then, he was coming towards me, with nobody else in the way. I rushed to him, and his arms folded around me. I felt warm and safe there.
“I’m proud of you, Nim,” he said into my ear. “Are you going to take it?”
I backed up enough so I could look into his eyes. My heart melted. He was smiling; it was a genuine smile that lit up his whole face. The skin around his eyes was wrinkled, and I realized it was from smiling, laughing, and loving — and that’s what I wanted.
“No,” I said.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “No?”
“No. Let’s go home.”
“But what about all these people?”
I gestured towards Eneece. “They’re in good hands, and we have responsibilities elsewhere.”
“Like . . .?”
“Like the hut we’re building and filling with our family.”
His smile spread even wider. “You don’t want to stay here and make sure those two don’t escape?”
“They’re too dumb to escape,” I said. I didn’t mention I’d instructed Eneece to construct a second box around their boxes, with a second set of wires to absorb their energy, even if they managed to damage the first.
“What about your parents?”
“If they want to come, they can,” I said, “and nobody said we’d never come back for a visit.”
“Right.” His expression turned thoughtful. “You think we can trust her? Can she keep things moving in the right direction?”
“I don’t know,” I said, “but if we can’t have faith in humanity, what do we have?”
He smiled.
I smiled.
And we walked away.
Read the entire Repatriate Protocol series:
Repatriate Protocol (Book One)
Expatriates (Book Two)
Volunteers (Book Three)
Choosing (Book Four)
Purging (Book Five)
Searching (Book Six)
