Priscilla used her fan to wave away the desert heat. “It seems like everything is calming down since the train escapade. Reb is my buddy, but I’m not returning to Oklahoma any time soon.”
Gable propped his feet on top of a stool. “That’s how I feel too, but we can’t get very comfortable yet. We have another trip coming up.”
“I’m not going to complain about this one. It’s for a good cause. What can you tell me about this anti-terrorism event?” Priscilla asked.
Gable sipped on the fine wine. “It’s a philanthropic event. We’ll play games, eat good food, meet new people, and enjoy West Virginia’s environment. All of the money will go to anti-terrorism efforts.”
Priscilla approved of the fundraiser. “We promised to make the world a better place and fundraisers like this are a decent stepping stone. Reb told me everyone in your family is going to it.”
“Malcolm and Beauregard, too. This type of philanthropic event will give us positive publicity. Honestly, I would like my family to have some publicity that doesn’t involve beating up villains or surviving catastrophes,” Gable discussed.
Priscilla stroked Gable’s hand while she rested in the lawn chair. “The kids will like this trip. They’ll have a lot of fun playing games and participating in outdoor activities.”
“I think you’re right. Actually, I’ve been wondering about something. Do you think we can safely raise kids in this Post-Apocalyptic era? After we survived the Apocalypse, I thought everything would be fine. Unfortunately, I still see violence everywhere,” Gable contemplated out loud.
Priscilla shrugged. “It’s not ideal, but we don’t have a choice. Mankind still lives. We just need to instill the right values in our kids. They’ll find the will to move forward.”
Gable checked the time on his pocket watch. “It’s getting late. We should probably go to bed.”
“You can head to our room. I should check on the kids,” Priscilla replied.
They entered the house and headed upstairs. Priscilla took a left turn in the hallway and heard Maggie talking to someone. She opened Oliver’s door, but he was asleep. The creaking sound from the door woke him up.
“Mom, is something wrong?” the twelve-year-old boy asked in a sleepy tone.
Priscilla felt somewhat perplexed. “No, everything is fine. I thought Maggie was talking to you.”
Oliver turned over and responded, “Nope. I’ve been asleep for the past couple hours.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you alone. Good-night, Oliver,” Priscilla said, then she warmly smiled at him.
Oliver tried to get comfortable again. “Same to you, Mom.”
Priscilla exited his room and closed the door. She slowly approached Maggie’s bedroom and quietly opened the door. When she entered Maggie’s bedroom, Priscilla caught the ten-year-old girl chatting on the phone with someone.
“Busted! I have to go! Talk to you later!” Maggie hastily said, and hung up the phone.
Priscilla felt mildly angry. “Maggie, who are you talking to at this hour? It’s way past your bedtime!”
“Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time talking to Parker. He’s a really cool kid and very smart. Parker has a special connection with Aunt Reb and Uncle Giles, so I wanted to know more about him,” Maggie confessed.
Priscilla was curious. “That’s not what I expected to hear. How did you and Parker get in touch with each other?”
Maggie pointed to her computer. “We started out chatting through social networking. After a while, we exchanged phone numbers. I know you told me to be really careful online, but Parker is a friend of Aunt Reb and Uncle Giles.”
“Look, it’s fine if you guys want to talk on the phone sometimes. However, phone calls need to be finished before bedtime. I don’t want you guys to keep secrets from me or your father. You need to treat Parker’s parents with respect too,” Priscilla lectured.
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Lesson learned. My phone is going on the charger and staying there until tomorrow.”
Priscilla looked sternly at her daughter. “Smart idea. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good-night, Mom,” Maggie said, as she got cozy under her covers.
Priscilla left Maggie’s bedroom and closed the door. She was mildly amused by her daughter’s interest in Parker. Priscilla entered the master bedroom and saw Gable pulling out his pajama bottoms from the dresser.
“That took a while,” Gable mentioned.
Priscilla yanked off her boots. “Apparently, Maggie and Parker are becoming friends. I caught her talking on the phone with him.”
Gable furrowed his eyebrows. “Really? She should be asleep.”
“Isn’t parenthood great? Pretty soon, she’ll be hiding all kinds of things from us,” Priscilla muttered.
Gable closed the drawer and said, “She’s only ten years old and getting interested in boys? Should we be worried about that?”
Priscilla sat on the bed. “Probably, but it’s unavoidable. Parker is a really good kid. I’m just glad she didn’t take an interest in a troublemaker.”
“Are you sure about that? My sister is mentoring him,” Gable quipped.
“At least Reb and Giles are strict. Besides, your intentions were very suspicious during our courtship. You’re the one who whisked me into a whirlwind romance across the globe. We went to Rome, the Bahamas, London, the Grand Canyon, Aspen, and all kinds of places. People warned me about you. After all, you had the reputation as a womanizer. Suddenly, Parker doesn’t worry me so much,” Priscilla smugly explained.
Gable justified their romance. “You and I were adults. Maggie and Parker are just kids.”
“I’m sure it will start out innocently. Don’t worry about it. Maggie will still be our little girl for a few more years,” Priscilla assured him as she stood up.
She approached Gable and stroked the side of his face. Priscilla gently kissed him on the lips and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Gable kissed Priscilla in return and untied her corset. She stripped off his shirt and kissed his muscular chest. Gable sighed in contentment. Priscilla unzipped his pants before he slowly pulled down her Victorian dress. Gable slipped out his pants and sensually pulled down her stockings. He ran his face along the skin of Priscilla’s right thigh and then he kissed his way up her abdomen. After he stood up, they hugged each other and kissed again. They removed their undergarments and climbed in bed. Priscilla pulled Gable on top of her and then he carefully ran his hands down the curves of her body. She wrapped her arms around him and stroked his strong back. Gable passionately kissed her neck and shoulders, while he ran his hands across her bosom. Priscilla moved her hips while she kissed the side of his face. The couple forgot about everything else and concentrated on each other for much of the night.
*****
The following morning, Reb drove to work in her Steampunk Jeep while she communicated with her mother using a small earpiece.
“Why are you so worried about the nuclear problem? Human and metal grafting didn’t even exist twenty years ago. We’re going to learn new things about it all the time,” Reb argued while she drove.
“I never thought it would turn us into mutants. It doesn’t worry you at all?” Savannah argued.
Reb kept her eyes on the road. “Actually, I don’t think the grafting causes a mutation. I prefer to view it as evolution. Steampunks are simply a new species of human being. We have a series of perks that make us stronger and greater than regular human beings.”
“Would you consider our radioactive problem a perk too?” Savannah sarcastically asked.
“The simple answer is yes. Atomic power and radiation is not fatal to Steampunks. It doesn’t make us sick or cause cancer. However, this immunity comes with a price. From what I understand, deadly amounts of radiation can alter our DNA and turn us into something that’s not human. I think we have a different genome than regular humans,” Reb explained.
Savannah rubbed her forehead. “This sounds like a really weird biology lesson.”
Reb sniffed the air. “I can smell something really foul in the air.”
“Can you describe the odor?” Savannah asked.
Reb briefly thought about it. “It smells like rotting meat. Hold on. I can see something hanging in a tree next to the road. Let me pull over.”
“Honey, be careful. Your stubborn and curious nature has a tendency to cause problems,” Savannah commented.
The entertainment lawyer drove over to the tree and parked. She exited the vehicle and saw two dead bandits who had been hung upside down from the tree. They were badly decomposed and had probably been there for quite a while. One of them had a note pinned to his chest that read: Say No to Terrorism… The second bandit had a note that said: …If You Want to Live!
“I guess somebody retaliated against a couple of bandits. Their bodies are hanging in a tree with a nasty message about terrorism,” Reb muttered.
Savannah thought the act was tasteless, but not surprising. “Figures. Over here in San Francisco, somebody killed a pirate, chopped him into pieces, wrapped the bits in plastic, and stuffed everything in a cardboard box. We live in a violent society.”
Reb hopped back in her Jeep and started the engine. “I don’t agree with that type of violence because it makes us worse than the non-grafted humans. It turns terrorists into victims and I hate that.”
“Unfortunately, some people think it’s the right way to fight terrorism,” Savannah replied.
Reb drove on the main road again. “I would like to think that we’ll end terrorism one of these days. Hopefully, it will be done the right way.”
Savannah sighed. “That sounds farfetched.”
“Not really. Regular humans are living on borrowed time. They might become extinct within your lifetime,” Reb bluntly commented.
Savannah snickered. “You’re so cynical. In your mind, everything is about survival.”
“You got that right. That’s why Steampunks exist. Otherwise, the world would have a lot more dead bodies. I know it’s hard to digest the dystopian element, but denial won’t turn our nation into a utopia. The Apocalypse was put in motion by a terrorist organization who built their ideals on utopian beliefs. Perfection is a nightmare. I’ll gladly live in a dystopia instead of a utopia,” Reb discussed.
Chapter 3
That morning, Percy peacefully worked in his laboratory. He picked up a screwdriver and pieced together components of a robotic animal. Percy used tweezers to carefully place a computer chip in the creature’s head.
“This mechanical prairie dog might be a nice companion for Reb. She and Giles still don’t have any kids, so a robot like this might have some novelty,” Percy said, while he worked on the grafted animal.
The computer programmer heard his cell phone ring. Percy saw Gable’s name on the display. He placed his phone on the table and turned on the speaker.
Gable tried to get his attention. “Dad, are you there?”
Percy continued fiddling with the robot. “Yeah, how can I help you?”
“I was just checking on you. It seems like you and Priscilla went through a tough time in Oklahoma and we didn’t talk about it much,” Gable mentioned.
Percy adjusted the vision on his goggles to look at the small gears and bolts. “Honestly, I feel relieved to be home. It wasn’t that bad. How’s Priscilla doing?”
“She’s fine. I think she felt satisfied when she beat up the bandit who captured her,” Gable admitted.
“I like Priscilla. She’s not a damsel in distress. I suppose that’s why she fits in our family,” Percy mused.
Gable looked at the stack of papers on his desk. “You should know that I have good taste in women. Anyway, I was wondering if you’re still going on the trip to West Virginia.”
“Of course. It’s an excellent opportunity to help the cause for anti-terrorism. You know terrorists make our lives miserable,” Percy replied.
Gable flipped through some papers while he talked on the phone. “I’m getting behind in my work, but positive publicity should be good. Lately, our family has been the subject of several news articles. Reporters can’t stop talking about us being attacked, kidnapped, and whatever. I hate being victimized.”
Percy added an electrical component to the prairie dog. “Actually, I think it shows our resilience. We always survive and defeat our enemies. It shows the public a significant amount of determination.”
“That’s one way to think about it. I want the public to see a different version of us. It would be nice for people to see us doing normal activities and having fun,” Gable mentioned.
Percy picked up a small welder. “You’re the prince of Las Vegas. Fun is almost your middle name. By the way, have you heard about the radiation scare?”
Gable picked up a pen and signed some documents. “That subject worries me. I find the idea of accidental mutation downright terrifying.”
“The odds of seeing that much atomic power is very unlikely. It’s perfectly safe to encounter small amounts of radiation. Steampunks can work in a nuclear plant without any problems. After all, the mutation only occurs when Steampunks encounter deadly amounts of radiation. A normal human being would die almost immediately if they absorbed that much atomic power. Perhaps the mutation is a blessing in disguise. It’s better than dying from radiation poisoning,” Percy explained.
Gable skimmed through a document while he talked. “That’s a grim, but logical way of looking at it.”
Percy adjusted his goggles. “I need to do some welding now. We can talk later. Who know what? I think you should spend more time working and less time talking on the phone. Your workload will shrink faster.”
The casino owner rolled his eyes. “How can I argue with that reasoning? I’ll see you in West Virginia. Bye, Dad.”
“Have a good day, Gable,” Percy said before he hung up the phone.
*****
Giles felt tired after his flight to New York City. Traffic was awful during his taxi ride, and it took a long time to reach his destination. The attorney fumed as he approached Beauregard’s apartment. Giles looked at his cell phone and was annoyed that Beauregard did not answer his text messages. He pulled out keys and unlocked the front door. Giles entered the apartment and received an unwanted surprise. A naked young woman stood in front of him. She screamed and ran into another part of the apartment.
The attorney was startled by the encounter. “Beau, you don’t have time to mess around! We need to prepare for your gallery showing! I expect a bonus for this nonsense!”
Beauregard entered the living room. He was also naked and conveniently held a paint pallet over his crotch. “Dude, you’re a little early.”
“It’s better to be early than late. How can I take you seriously if you’re not wearing any clothes?” Giles grumbled.
“It’s not what you think. This woman is one of my models. I was painting a nude portrait,” Beauregard claimed.
Giles was not amused. “That doesn’t explain why you’re also naked.”
“I was trying to find inspiration. Sometimes, I dive very deeply into my work,” Beauregard said in a confident tone.
Giles shook his head. “In that case, you need to wear something professional and get ready for the gala. We need to stay on schedule.”
“I hear the message loud and clear. Give me a few minutes to get ready,” Beauregard said, then he turned around and entered his bedroom.
The attorney was offended by the view. “Dude, you could have a little modesty.”
“Nobody said you had to look!” Beauregard hollered from the bedroom.
Chapter 4
Oliver walked with his father through the Steampunk casino. The boy was intrigued with the casino’s bright lights, steam power, mechanical decorations, and elaborately dressed employees.
Gable placed his hand on Oliver’s shoulder while they strolled. “Take a good look at this empire. You’ll inherit this casino after I retire. Eventually, you’re going to be the new monarch of Las Vegas,” G
able proudly explained.
Oliver felt guilty. “This looks terrific, but I have other plans for my career.”
Gable was taken aback by his son’s response. “What? I don’t understand.”
“You like to put on a good show and help people forget about their problems. That’s not how it works for me. I actually want to help people deal with their problems,” Oliver admitted.
“So, what did you have in mind?” Gable asked.
“I want to be a surgeon. Even Steampunks develop health problems when they get older. Sometimes, younger people have accidents. The news reporters are always talking about terrorism and violence. You and everybody else in our family got attacked several times by bad guys. I still remember what happened in Louisiana. Heroes don’t have to be people with guns or weapons. They can be individuals who take care of the victims too,” Oliver clarified.
Gable felt proud. “You have a very gallant purpose in life. I always thought you would take over my business, but surgery is a very good choice.”
“Are you disappointed?” Oliver sheepishly asked.
Gable shook his. “Of course not. Study hard so a top-notch college will accept you. Surgery is a complex area of study and you’ll have to work very hard.”
“I’m ready. You taught me to earn my rewards,” Oliver replied.
They walked to the lobby and exited the casino.
*****
Meanwhile, Giles attended Beauregard’s Decopunk art gallery event. It was a successful exhibit with a large turnout of viewers. As usual, Beauregard’s gallery was an elaborate affair with live music, hors d’oeuvres, and alcoholic beverages. Beauregard’s Steampunk outfit included a coat with tails, button-front shirt, scarf, beret, vest, pinstriped pants, a belt that was made out of gears, fingerless leather gloves, and dress shoes with spats. Giles’ outfit included an expensive three-piece suit, coachman’s hat, button-front shirt, leather gloves, a belt decorated with bullets, and a pair of knee high boots. The gallery was crowded with art enthusiasts and celebrities.
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 2
