by Ali House
When she came out of the dressing room, she located Bryanna in the middle of the store, still going through the rack. As she walked over, Kit thought about everything Bryanna had said. It was unfair to think that just because she didn’t go out every night that she was unhappy. She had a full time job, and she was helping the ISS, so she had to be responsible. And there were things in her life that Bryanna had no clue about, so how dare she say–
Her train of thought was derailed as she bumped into someone.
“Sorry!” Kit said, moving a step back. She really had to pay attention to where she was going.
The brown-haired girl steadied herself, took one look at Kit and frowned. The blond girl standing by her did the same.
“Of course you are,” the brunette replied acidly.
Kit was taken aback by her attitude. “Hey, I apologized.”
“Why don’t you apologize for being born?”
“What?”
The girl’s laughter was sharp. “Did you lose your hearing when you Accepted? Or was it only your humanity?”
Kit felt her right hand curl into a fist. She took a second look at the girl, this time taking note of her brown hair and brown eyes. Her friend had blond hair and blue eyes. Kit became overly conscious of the Tattoo on her right arm.
“Excuse me,” Kit said politely, trying not to clench her teeth, “but do you realize what island you’re currently on?”
“An island that should have been destroyed by Tecken. I guess your lot bounce back quickly. We can’t seem to get rid of you.”
Before she knew what was happening, Kit’s right arm hauled back and she punched the girl. The girl’s head twisted to the right and she stumbled backwards into her friend. Kit wasn’t sure if she should apologize or hit her again.
“You savage!” the girl’s friend yelled. “This is why your kind shouldn’t be allowed on the streets!”
Kit raised her fist again, but before she could do anything she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Maybe we should get out of here,” Bryanna’s voice whispered in her ear.
Kit lowered her fist and allowed Bryanna to pull her out of the store. As they left she could hear the two girls yelling insults at them, but Bryanna had a tight hold on Kit’s arm and wouldn’t let go until they were five stores away.
“What was that about?” Bryanna asked, letting go of her.
“I just...” Kit took in a deep breath and tried to control her anger. “Did you hear the crap that was coming out of her mouth?”
“I wasn’t paying attention until you punched her. What did she say?”
Kit sat down on a nearby bench. “It was Humanist crap, about Elementals and Stanton. I just – I’d heard so much of it in Briton and I thought I wouldn’t have to hear it anymore... She sounded just like my step-father, like such a...”
“A Humanist?” Bryanna filled in.
Kit nodded. “Yeah, that’s it.”
They continued shopping, although they moved to the opposite end of the mall. Kit kept an eye out for those girls so that she could avoid any more altercations. Despite popular belief, punching a Humanist didn’t feel good. The main reason was because the punch usually came after some pretty terrible words, and no punch could take those words or the intention behind them back.
For the rest of their trip Bryanna kept her insults in check, although she still pressured Kit to try on clothes and even make a few purchases. Kit was thankful for Bryanna’s rescue so she figured that the least she could do was buy a few shirts.
When they got back from the mall, they found Zenyth waiting for them in the living room, still in her police uniform.
“How was the shopping?” Zenyth asked. Something about the tone of her voice made Kit suspicious.
“I did fantastic,” Bryanna bragged, holding up her shopping bags, “but Kit’s wardrobe still needs work.”
“I’m not asking about that.”
“There are a couple empty store-fronts and some stores that are being renovated,” Kit said, “but nobody came out of them while we were watching. I also didn’t see any doors marked ‘Tecken’s secret entrance’.”
“I’d assumed as much. And I’m not asking about that either.”
Kit and Bryanna exchanged a look.
“So what are you asking about?” Bryanna said.
“I’m asking about the assault that happened in a certain clothing store approximately two hours ago.”
“Oh no...” Kit muttered. She leaned against the wall and prepared herself for a lecture.
“How do you know about that?” Bryanna asked.
Zenyth sighed and crossed her arms. “Guess who gets called in whenever there’s an incident at the mall?”
Bryanna laughed. “Really? You?”
“It’s some kind of cruel punishment from my superior. I had to take statements from the girls, the storeowner and other witnesses. Then I got to watch the security tape.”
“So I guess you’re going to drag me down to the station,” Kit said.
Zenyth shook her head. “Hell, after talking to those girls I wanted to smack both of them. I don’t know why Humanists think that they can come here and spout that kind of crap and think they won’t get punched. I mean, some of the stuff they said was really awful.”
“Tell me about it...”
“So what did you do?” Bryanna asked.
“Well, the two idiots wanted to press charges, but I explained to them that they’d be put in front of a jury that would be made up of Stanton citizens. Then I re-read their statement about how Tecken should have destroyed this island, and suggested very strongly that they reconsider.”
Bryanna’s mouth fell open. “They actually said that?”
Zenyth nodded.
“I should have let you punch her again,” Bryanna said to Kit.
Kit shook her head. “As much as they deserve it, I’m glad you pulled me out of there. I think I’m too old to get into fights with Humanists.”
Zenyth thought about it. “You’re never too old to punch a Humanist in the face.”
After three weeks, the team had watched all of the marked buildings at least four times and they’d all come to the same conclusion – it was not going to do any good. If they knew the identities of the Tecken soldiers, then they’d at least have something to watch out for, but right now they were flying blind. Nobody looked out of place entering or exiting the buildings, and nobody looked like a Tecken soldier.
Kit had taken a look at the blueprints for each building and there had been nothing suspicious about them. They’d all been erected in the second wave of reconstruction after the war. Each building was equipped with the facilities to handle a team of soldiers, but that was to be expected of apartment buildings and offices.
A part of her had hoped that there would be something of interest in the blueprints, but Kit knew that the likelihood of her finding a secret room or door was very slim. A blueprint with a secret hideaway would have trouble getting approved, especially after a war. It was possible that the builders might have gone off the blueprint, but there was no way to prove that.
Kit went back to the mall a couple times with Bryanna and didn’t punch anyone, although each trip ended with her having to buy at least one item of Bryanna-approved clothing. There was an afternoon when she’d gone with Naydir to watch one of the buildings, although they spent more time watching then talking. She had yet to go on a watch with Zenyth, although she had been more civil ever since the mall incident.
It was Zenyth and Naydir’s job to tell Triton about their lack of findings. When the twins reported back to the rest of the team, they said that Triton had asked them to continue what they were doing, but to concentrate more on listening to the public.
He also informed them of a lecture that was taking place in a few days time that he wanted them to attend. Stanton University was holding an open lecture about EDNA and the creation of New Humans, and he wanted them to pay attention to the crowd. If anyone asked
any suspicious questions or made odd remarks he wanted it reported.
Kit had read plenty of books about the biology of Elementals during the summer, so she was happy to attend. It was a good thing that the lecture was in the evening, when she didn’t have to work. When she entered the lecture hall she looked around for Bryanna and Naydir. The others were busy, so it was only the three of them. Bryanna was sitting close to the door, and Naydir was in the middle of the room. Kit moved to the far side and took an empty seat there. The three of them should be able to watch most of the room from their respective locations.
The room was loud with the noise of multiple conversations, but it quieted down quickly enough when the speaker entered the room. The speaker had written multiple books on the subject and was considered an expert on EDNA. Kit thought that she looked the part, with her grey hair and round glasses. She was dressed in a brown suit with patches at the elbows and carried a handful of notes. Kit braced herself for a boring, monotonous lecture, but when the speaker opened her mouth Kit was surprised. Her voice was clear and loud as she spoke, with a tone that resonated throughout the lecture hall.
“Human beings have always had two great needs,” the speaker began, “to create and to destroy. Archaic Earth was filled with many great advancements in technology, but many of these advancements were, at their very core, destructive. Engines enabled travel between distant lands, but polluted the atmosphere. Chemicals protected them from fire and also slowly poisoned them. Weapons made killing easier. It is no wonder that the species found themselves on the brink of extinction, although not in the way they would have imagined.
“When they realized that the species was becoming sterile, human scientists began their quest for an answer. They tried desperately to find a solution, but their DNA had become so corrupted over the years that there was no way to repair the damage.”
Kit listened as the speaker talked about the creation of EDNA, the strand that all New Humans, also known as Elementals, were born with. The speaker described the thought process and the creation in such a way that Kit felt as if she was in the room with the scientists on Archaic Earth.
“The scientists were elated with their success. They had managed to create something almost identical to themselves, thus saving the species. But they did not know the true extent of what they had created. The first generation of New Humans looked identical to their predecessors and was not burdened with infertility. They were, for all accounts and purposes, Human.
“It was the second generation that began to exhibit signs of independent genes. Skin colour no longer depended on parental genes, and hair and eye colours appeared which were not typically Human. Our EDNA was just beginning to show how expansive its abilities were. The scientists were perplexed by these features, as well as the frustrating nature of independent genes, but they could accept something so trivial. It was a small price to pay in their attempt to save the species.
“The real problem came when they realized that these New Humans weren’t as compatible as they had originally thought. It was not impossible for a New Human and a Human to conceive, but it was difficult and the offspring had a seventy-five percent chance of sterility. Of course, New Humans had no problem reproducing amongst themselves.
“Once the scientists realized that this experiment was not going to save them, they terminated it. There were many New Humans in existence, most of whom had fully integrated into society. The Scientists chose to keep most of their research hidden, but nature had other plans.
“It was the third generation that was the first to Accept. By the time scientists realized what Acceptance was and the power that came with it, there were almost as many New Humans as Humans. Humans were already refusing to mate with the New Humans, due to the differences in their appearance, and Acceptance gave them another reason to be fearful.
“It was this power that started the battle. The New Humans did not want to give up something that was obviously their birthright – something handed down to them by their own EDNA. The Humans grew fearful and thus the Last World War began.”
The speaker touched briefly on the Last World War, its impact on the population, and the fact that this extra strand in their EDNA was what protected the New Humans from the biological weapon that the Humans manufactured.
“The past is the past and we cannot change it,” the speaker continued, her voice still as clear as when she began. “The outcome was that the Humans were wiped away – dead much sooner than they would have been if they’d waited for their natural extinction. The New Humans that survived were left to pick up the pieces and rebuild the world.
“This is why we cannot afford to be afraid of our power. It protected us from extinction, and helped us with the rebuilding process. Our EDNA makes us what we are. We all have a power and we must all use it responsibly, whether it be an element or not.”
At the end of the speech there was a thunderous round of applause. A few people cheered. The speaker asked if there were any questions and almost half of the room raised their hands. She smiled and said that she would try to get to everyone, before pointing someone out in the crowd.
A young woman wearing a Stanton University sweater stood up. “You said that EDNA protected the New Humans from the biological weapon that brought an end to the Last World War, but wasn’t the weapon manufactured to specifically target EDNA?”
“That is something that unfortunately cannot be verified. We have all heard the rumors that the weapon was built to target EDNA and that the code was tampered with to target DNA instead, but we do not know whether that is the truth or whether the weapon was simply faulty. All we know is that the Humans built a weapon that killed all of them, but left us alive. If we haven’t figured out the truth after 700 years, I doubt we’ll ever know.”
The speaker pointed out another person in the crowd.
“You mentioned that our EDNA is the reason behind our elements. Can you elaborate on this?”
The speaker nodded. “Our EDNA is made up of six markers instead of the four that make up DNA. Each marker has been traced back to a basic element – Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Ice and Electricity. Whenever there is an imbalance in the markers, the dominant element is the one that will be ‘gifted’ to the person in question.”
“So why don’t we test everyone before their twenty-first birthday to find out their element?” a voice shouted.
“Because there are some things in life that are determined to remain mysteries. Body chemistry doesn’t seem to settle until after Acceptance or Denial. Tests done to subjects one week before their twenty-first birthday have shown that a person’s chemistry can change up to four times in that week alone. Also, please raise your hand if you want to ask a question.”
The speaker moved on, choosing another person in the crowd.
“We all know that if a person’s EDNA is balanced that they will not receive a vision, but how do you explain the Six-Elemental?”
Kit stared at the person who had asked the question. The young woman looked normal enough, but Kit wondered if she was a Follower of Six. Or was there was a different reason for this particular question?
“The Six-Elemental is a myth,” the speaker said simply, with just a hint of a smile. “When Archaic Earth was destroyed, all its heroes were destroyed with it. We needed a new hero, and thus the idea of the Six-Elemental was born. The myth was created to signify unity between all New Humans, to teach us how wonderful life could be if we all work together. The story is allegory, not fact.”
“And your science proves that?” the person asked.
Kit could feel her palms sweating. Had she not been careful enough during her trips to the library? Had someone noticed her obsession? Had this woman figured out her secret and was she about to announce it to the entire room?
“It has been almost 700 years since the mythical Six-Elemental helped rebuild the Earth. In that time there has been no record of anyone receiving all six elements. When a person is in balance no element succeeds a
nd no vision is received. Biology and science teach us that such a being is impossible.”
“But what about faith?”
The speaker chuckled. “Today I am talking about science, not faith. If you wish to discuss faith, then the Followers of Six have a church on 78th Street.”
She signaled for another person to ask a question and, to Kit’s relief, the discussion moved on.
After the lecture, Kit drove back to the house. Naydir and Bryanna would be leaving separately – Naydir in his Sol-car while Bryanna waited to be picked up by Cale. As she drove, Kit thought about the lecture and the questions that had been asked.
Naydir was sitting in the living room when Kit entered the house. They discussed the lecture and decided that there was nothing particularly suspicious about it. There was the question about predicting elements, but almost everyone had asked that question at some point in their lives. Besides, why would Tecken waste time attending lectures and asking questions? They’d be better off planting someone in the university and having them study genetics. And even then they’d have to think that this person would be able to do better than the scientists who had been studying EDNA for decades.
They were still discussing the lecture when Bryanna and Cale walked in.
“That Sixer was hilarious, right?” Bryanna said, taking a seat on the couch. “Going to a scientific discussion and bringing up fiction.”
Kit shrugged. “It’s a logical question. I mean, asking about a perfect balance.”
“I bet Tecken would love to get their hands on a Six-Elemental,” Bryanna said. “If it existed.”
Cale nodded. “Any side would love to have a Six-Elemental. Think of all that power! Six elements. You could do anything.” He mimed fighting with all the elements while Bryanna laughed at him and cheered him on.
