by Wid Bastian
“Half the Juneau colony,” Neron answered. “I knew kids there. I wish…”
“You wish what?” Trixie asked interrupting.
“I wish I could have done something. I wish that somebody could have stopped it,” Neron answered.
“The Plague is targeting Alaska. The new clear thermal barrier the creatures have seems to make them impervious to the cold,” Cenik said.
“Why don’t they ever attack us here?” Neron asked.
“Even for The Plague to attack here would be suicide,” Dash offered.
“Why?” Neron asked.
“Because we live on the most heavily fortified military installation on the planet,” Trixie said, parroting what she had been told many times.
“Why can’t the government set up the same defenses we have here around the colonies?” Neron asked.
“There just aren’t enough resources. There are only so many planes and guns and troops. They can’t be everywhere at the same time.”
“You know what, Cenik? That only makes sense to a certain degree. I think the government could do more to protect the colonies, but they won’t,” Neron said.
“That’s crazy talk, Neron. We’re all people and we have to stick together. The Plague wants to kill us all whether we live here or in the colonies,” Ezsra offered.
“It’s not so crazy, Ezsra. Think about it. The colonies are targets because while they’re defended, they’re vulnerable. You attack your enemy at his weakest point, not his hardest point.”
“What are you saying, Neron?” Dash asked.
“I’m saying don’t believe everything these people tell you. The government lies all the time. They want to preserve and protect humans, but they care a whole lot more about some people than they do about others.”
“Better zip it. Here comes Sarge,” Trixie said.
The kids finished their meal in silence and stored their trash in their backpacks. Dash quit cheating and ran like the rest of his classmates. He was surprisingly quick without using his powers and seemed to never tire.
Off to the north the group saw a dozen jump jets on patrol. Every perimeter of Capitol City was watched twenty four hours a day. Thousands of troops were always at the ready to engage the enemy. Continually manned static defenses, including hundreds of radiation cannons, were tucked into bunkers and mountainsides.
Unlike the colonists, who had to rely only on Light Rifles and the arrival of troops from distant bases to protect them, citizens of the capitol slept soundly every night. The Plague had not mounted a serious attack on Capitol City since the second decade of the war.
Chapter Thirty Two
“Alright, I’ll see you guys later,” Neron said as he waved goodbye to his friends and slid his plastic card into the slot to open his front door.
As soon as he closed the door, but before he switched on the lights, Neron’s senses told him that he was not alone. He slid the protective sheath off of his right hand.
“Neron, be calm. I’m not here to hurt you,” the gravelly voice said. It sounded familiar, although Neron could not recall ever hearing it before. Based on instinct alone, he instantly no longer felt threatened.
Neron switched on the lights. In the far corner of his main room a man was sitting in a chair. He was wearing what appeared to be animal skins. A hood shrouded his face.
He was an Iss!
“Who are you?” Neron asked.
“My name is Iss Konge. I am your mother’s friend. Elian asked me to find you and talk with you if you were ever brought here.”
“You know… you knew my mother?”
“We were friends for many years, since shortly after you were born.”
“It’s a long way from Alaska to Capitol City. How did you get here?”
“How did you get here?” Iss Konge asked.
“The government flew me in on an aircraft.”
“Same for me,” Iss Konge said.
“But the government is telling people here the Iss do not exist.”
Iss Konge laughed and stood, removing his animal skin coat. He was dressed in a one piece military style uniform. Neron turned a light on in the main room and sat down. Iss Konge remained standing.
The Iss are so amazing to look at, Neron said to himself. Although it hadn’t been that long ago, Neron was very happy to see an Iss again. This one had to be important if the government allowed him to be in the city.
“You don’t believe everything the government tells you now, do you?” Iss Konge said.
“No. In fact, I believe very little of what they tell me.”
“What do your senses, your feelings, tell you about me?”
“How do you know about my senses?”
“Your mother told me all about you when we met. She would sneak out into the forest from time to time to retrieve your dampening serum. We provided it to her all of your life.”
“It was you. I thought the doctor was lying about that. Why?” Neron now knew that this man was a friend and someone he could rely on to speak the truth plainly.
“Because of who you are, Neron. We have been anxiously awaiting your birth.”
“Who I am? Because I can destroy The Plague?”
“Yes, and for many other reasons. Your abilities are in their infancy.”
“What? How do you know these things?”
“Neron, it’s time you learned more about me and about the Iss. Are you expecting anyone this evening?” Iss Konge asked.
“No, they leave me alone at night. Mostly.”
“I am not here to give you orders. If you want me to leave after I say what I’ve come to say, I’ll go and never return. You’re free, Neron, or you should be. No matter how important you are no one has the right to treat you like a slave or a prisoner.
“Many years ago I was fully human. I was a military man, a general. I was a leader in the army of the Western Alliance. Do you know your history, Neron? Are they still teaching history in schools these days?”
“We were taught about the West and the East and how they were at war with each other when The Plague began to ravage the planet. They never tell us the names of people from the past, only generally what went on,” Neron explained.
“My name in those days was Benjamin Alandreian. I was one of the original soldiers infected with the nanogene at Forged Bay. I was there when this nightmare began. I’d like to be around when it ends.
“The Western Alliance created the nanogene, a method, they thought, that would enhance their soldiers and win the war. Your body has been infected with this nanogene, just as mine has. In your case, your right hand developed along with your magnified senses, strength and so on. In my case, I adapted to my environment and my body became what you see before you now, basically still human but capable of living in extremely cold conditions with very little assistance.”
“You were the first Iss?” Neron asked.
“I was. Scientists used my cells to create an entire race of people just like me. The Iss are not clones but I am, in a sense, the father of all Iss. My genetic material was infused into the original embryos who became the Iss. They breed quite naturally now and they are a genetically distinct form of human being, an evolved breed of Homo sapiens.”
“The government created the Iss?”
“No, we did it many years ago. Remember, it took Cassia and her army a couple of decades to conquer the planet. We used that time to create the Iss. Our lab and base are in Greenland. It’s still the closest thing to home for me.
“Once the world government consolidated, I made myself known to them. They quickly realized that my people were no threat. I, we, created the Iss primarily for one reason – to ensure the survival of humanity.”
“Why does the government lie about you?”
“We’re sort of an open state secret. They don’t want people who live in Capitol City to know any more than they need to know. Ignorance is bliss, to use a very old phrase. All of this lying and secrecy is done in the name of secur
ity. The greatest of evils have been done in the name of state security.”
“What do people say about you, when you walk around the city I mean?” Neron asked.
“My deal with the generals is simple – I move at night and stay out of sight. Not many people have any idea what an Iss is supposed to look like anyway. When I’m noticed, people shy away. Nanogene mutants are not that uncommon. The generals tolerate my presence here from time to time for one reason; they desperately need the intelligence the Iss bring to the table. We can get close to The Plague without being detected.”
“Do you like mint tea?” Neron asked.
“I haven’t had mint tea in so long. Are you offering me some?” Iss Konge said.
“Yes. I like to drink mint tea at night. It makes my stomach feel better. I’ll make us some.”
“You look like your mother. She was a wonderful woman, Neron. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
They moved to Neron’s small kitchen. Neron took two cups, filled them with water, put them in the microwave oven and set the timer.
Iss Konge reached out and gave Neron a hug and a smile. “You’re still a boy, Neron. All this must be very hard. I’m afraid I’ve not come to make your life any easier.”
“Why exactly have you come?”
“You need to leave Capitol City. Your life is in grave danger here. The government wants to use you to create a whole army of soldiers who have your ability to destroy The Plague.”
“How do you know this?” Neron asked.
“Trust your feelings. Am I telling you the truth?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s enjoy our tea. What I have to say will likely take all night. Once you know all the facts, you’ll have to make a decision.”
Chapter Thirty Three
There were portions of Capitol City that were scarcely ever visited. The old section, the ruins of the first Capitol City, was off limits to all but assigned work crews and military personnel. The weathered stone structures held many secrets, but none of importance to the average citizen. Neron chose an abandoned powerhouse in the old section for his meeting because it was the last place anyone would expect H-TEC students to congregate.
Neron invited only four students to the meeting. He knew he was taking a risk, a huge risk. Iss Konge had warned him that if the government suspected what he was up to they would very likely concoct some story, about Neron being ill, or hurt, or say he was re-assigned, or whatever lie they needed to say to place him in permanent custody without raising suspicion. At this point, it didn’t matter if Neron was a willing participant or not, the government would do everything in its power to exploit his abilities.
Another thing that was becoming more evident was that the government routinely lied to its people. Iss Konge spent hours with Neron revealing the true history of the world since the Forged Bay calamity. After Cassia began her rampage the elites from both sides, the West and the East, combined for a common purpose, to protect themselves against The Plague armies. They continued to see the world as they always had, as a place with scarce resources and dangerous enemies.
The elites retreated to Capitol City and built a fortress. At the time, during the first few years of the war, the human armies were battling The Plague across the globe and The Plague did not venture into the extreme north or south. Much like the Iss, the government wanted a place to regroup, a sanctuary from the relentless onslaught.
As the years went by, the leaders of the government accepted the inevitable - the world would eventually be overrun by The Plague. So they built their fortress city and they continued to develop weaponry to battle the nano monsters. Colonies were established in the north with the idea that pockets of humanity could survive, perhaps even thrive, outside of Capitol City provided they were situated far enough into the Frigid Zone.
The colonies provided manpower for the government’s armies. Because they engaged in various industries, the colonists could also produce goods the residents of Capitol City needed. Most of all, especially after the government stopped engaging Cassia’s armies in large scale battles throughout the Temperate Zones, the colonies provided tempting targets for The Plague. The colonies were defended, but only to a degree, by government armies.
H-TEC was established to formalize a strategy. In certain individuals the nanogene expressed itself in dramatic ways. There were virtually no uninfected people, except for the Iss. The Iss had a special variant of the nanogene passed down to them through their genetic code, but they were immune to further infection from either Cassia’s nano-human plague or the nanogene itself. The government’s scientific brain trust theorized that, sooner or later, a mutation(s) would arise in the general population that would be capable of defeating Cassia and her Plague army. All they had to do was survive long enough and identify and exploit this mutation and they would be able to re-take the planet.
Iss Konge explained to Neron the government’s detailed plans for the post-war world. They would immediately set out to build new cities, also heavily fortified. The military would shift its tactics from battling The Plague to enforcing order in their new society. The colonists would be helped, but only enough to keep them as a valuable resource for the elites. There would be great new cities and prosperity, but only for the few. The many would toil, struggle and provide for the elites.
Neron was a tool, nothing more. If the government could use him as a live hero great, but if he was a dead hero who gave his body to the cause then so be it.
His eyes now fully opened, Neron knew what he had to do. Iss Konge offered to take him in and give him shelter. They also discussed hiding and protecting any number of Neron’s fellow students who did not desire to be slaves to the government. They would form their own society, much as the Iss had done generations earlier.
“Neron, is this a game?” Trixie asked.
“No, it’s not a game. We needed privacy. We’re still waiting for -.”
With a loud whoosh Dash arrived. They were all here now. The kids were sitting on old chunks of concrete or atop long idled machines in the basement of the dilapidated powerhouse. It was very cold, below zero. Despite being dressed for the conditions, everyone was anxious to discuss whatever Neron needed to talk about and quickly retreat to the comfortable shelter of their living quarters.
“Neron, what’s going on?” Dash asked. “You made it sound like this was a very serious meeting.”
“It is,” Neron said. “I need to ask you guys something. Can I count on you all to keep quiet after you’ve heard what I have to say?”
“We’re not rats, Neron. You know that. We never tell on each other. It’s our code,” Ezsra said.
All heads nodded in agreement. Neron began, “I have been visited by the King of the Iss. He told me things you should all know.”
“Not the Iss again. Neron, really we -.”
“Trixie, just watch this,” Neron said and then activated a holographic display device. Iss Konge’s image appeared and began talking. He addressed the students by name and told them all about their history and the government, just as he had Neron.
Then Iss Konge said, “I welcome all of you to follow Neron, to come and live with us in Greenland. There you will be free to make your own decisions, to live your own lives. You will be free to become all you are capable of becoming.”
Silence filled the basement of the powerhouse after Iss Konge’s image disappeared. The students were stunned. Clearly most of them did not know what to think.
“Are you really leaving to join Iss Konge?” Trixie asked.
“Yes,” Neron said. “Iss Konge is telling us the truth. I want to at least have a chance to be free, as free as someone can be in this world. I don’t want to be the government’s lab experiment that’s for sure.”
“What about our duty, Neron? The Plague must be destroyed. Doesn’t fighting for the government give us the best chance of doing that? Why would you deny them your weapon?” Cenik said.
“Iss Konge can help
me become the most effective weapon possible. I will fight The Plague to my last breath. I believe what he believes; an army of free fighters is far more effective than an army of slaves. We will fight The Plague, Cenik.”
“On our own?” Dash asked. “How could we defeat The Plague on our own? That’s impossible.”
“Is it? Iss Konge does not think so. Remember, one human being, one former human being, Cassia, conquered the world. Why can’t a few of us take it back?”
“I believe you,” Ezsra said. “But the government, they won’t let us leave, especially you. They will track you to the ends of the earth.”
