by Nat Kozinn
This is the face of Different labor. Strong-Men complain about breaking their backs hauling freight, Speedsters complain about running ragged on deliveries, and Big Brains complain about filling their heads with nonsense for think.Net, but all those gripes fall far short of Julia’s. She was transformed into a giant hideous freak who barely resembles a human being. That wins.
I make my way around the giant green/black body until I finally reach her head. It’s supported by metal braces that keep her folds of fat from suffocating her. Her face is covered in a giant mask, hooked up to what I presume is an air tank. Another indignity.
I’m close enough now that if I signaled to Ben/Linda, they could find her and connect us, but I don’t want this to be a conversation by force. I want to talk to her freely, and that means I’d like to introduce myself.
I climb my way up the metal structure that supports her head. I’m going to be a little more in her face then normal human decorum would dictate for an introduction, but I hope she’ll understand.
There is no doubt that it is a human face. She even has some sparse brown hairs on top of her head. Her eyes are closed. I tap on the metal around her head.
“Excuse me,” I say.
It takes a few seconds but her eyes open and look straight at me. There’s no doubt there’s a mind behind those eyes.
“Hello it’s nice to meet you. My name is Gavin Stillman,” I say and wait a second before remembering she can’t talk. “Can you understand me? Blink twice if you can.”
She blinks twice, I’ve made contact.
“Great! Now do you know who I am. I mean I’ve been in the news a lot, back when there was news I was The Beast Slayer, am…”
She blinks twice to spare me from my bumbling attempts at humility.
“I would love to talk to you Ms. Chekov. I have a Telepath I’m working with. She can connect us, like on think.Net. Would that be okay with you?”
She gives me the double blink yes.
<<
>>>Julia are you there?
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>>>Is it okay that we are talking this way?
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>>>Has Nita told you what it is that’s happening? Do you understand that she took control of the facility from the government?
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>>>I’m going to get right down to it because we might not have that much time. Are you with Nita? Do you think she can lead you to freedom?
<<
>>>Because Nita is doing all this to free you; you’re the center of it. People can live without the other Differents, their lives will be worse in so many ways, but they can still live as long as you are there to feed them. So it matters what you think. I need to know if you’re with Nita.
<<
>>>No, I don’t know much about you at all, which is pretty sad considering you’ve been feeding me my whole life.
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>>>Why are you telling me this?
<<
<<
>>>They did not ask to be hungry.
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>>>My point was not to answer your question Gavin, it was to show you that there are different ways to look at the problem. Am I a slave, or a source of salvation? That is a matter of perspective. But you are right. I want to feed people. It seems like Nita taking over means more people are going hungry. And I know Roberto would say the same, if he talked anymore. But I don’t have the power to do anything about all of that. I can’t fight anyone. All I can do is keep making Manna, and hope that someone eats it.
<<
>>>It’s a hard question Gavin. And one that I’m glad I don’t have to answer. Nita has her answers, I’m sure the government has theirs, but it’s your answer I’d like to see.
<<
>>>Yes I do Gavin. I knew you the second I read about The Beast Slayer. You don’t know how happy it made me Gavin. It meant I wasn’t alone. It meant there was at least one person who saw with the same eyes as me.
<<
14
I have given each of my Chosen Sons a piece of myself. Only your Lord and God, has the right to take back this gift. I have created you in order to spread my new race, you will not subtract from it.
Chosen Sons: 45
>>>There is another task for you.
“Who must I kill now?” The Beast asks with a heavy sigh.
>>>Now is not the time to lose faith my son. Your task does indeed involve death, but it is taking lives that truly deserve it. One of your Chosen Brothers faces a grave danger. The Forgotten Sons have imprisoned him. Only you can free him.
“After I free him, what then? When will I get to see the city we have built?”
>>>You may well see it soon. But for now get ready. Some of your brothers will arrive shortly to take you where you need to go. Do not try to speak with them; they will not listen. You have still not earned your redemption.
The Lord leaves The Beast’s mind. The Beast knows he should be grateful, and willing to pay any price to earn his salvation, but the bill just keeps tallying higher and higher.
15
The Unified Logistics Technology and Research Applications Corporation and its subsidiaries whole-heartedly condemn the actions of Renita Martinez. They do not reflect the values of this corporation, its owners, or its employees. Let us be clear, Ultracorps is not on strike. The vast majority of our employees remain on the job. This labor walk-off has affected our ability to perform our duties, but not our desire. Ultracorps and its subsidiaries are continuing to work with the Metro Area governments and we remain ready, willing, and able to assist the nation in any way we can. We implore the public to remember the many years of faithful service provided by Ultracorps and to remember that this so-called strike is made up of just a
few hundred individuals, individuals who have broken the law. Ultracorps is working and will continue to work with authorities in order to bring the strike to an end and to punish the perpetrators. We hope that over time, Ultracorps can win back the trust of the American People.
“Ultracorps is not on Strike,” letter to the editor, by the Ultracorps Board of Directors. Printed in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Miami Herald, the Seattle Times, the Houston Chronicle, and the Washington Post.
“Okay, I know we’re all thinking it, but I‘m going to say it. That was way too easy,” Ben says.
“It didn’t seem quite was easy to the guy who was sneaking around and employing incredible acrobatic feats to avoid discovery,” I fire back.
“You know I’m right. Nita isn’t stupid enough to depend so heavily on just her Telepaths. She let you through,” Ben keeps after it.
“Didn’t you once tell me that when dealing with Nita it’s best to assume she’s on to you?”
“Yes, but that usually isn’t such an immediate, send-an-army-of-Differents, style concern,” Ben says.
“If she wanted to stop him, she could have done it at the Manna Fields,” Linda chimes in.
“Hello? Maybe it’s not him she’s after? Maybe she wants me, in which case that door is about to burst open and some of the most powerful Differents on the planet are going to come charging through,” Ben says and points to door. We pause for a moment as though Ben could predict the future.
“Isn’t that reinforced with a couple of Maceo Steel beams? You put them there, it’s going to make it awful hard for anyone to break that door down,” I say.
“Fine, then they’ll smash through the concrete around the door like it’s paper. Gabriel Burns and Jian Yin, are both strong enough to do it and they worked here in the Manna Fields. If they didn’t join the revolution maybe Reggie Crane came down from Seattle. He’s stronger than those other two put together, he powers the turbine that creates the Hoover for the Seattle MA. Do you have any idea what child’s play smashing through this bunker is compared to the force that is required for his day job?” Ben says getting all worked up.
“What do you want us to do? Should we pack up and go on the move?” Linda says in an even tone trying to calm him.
“No, that’s a terrible idea. Then we’ll be out in the open and easy to spot, and when they locate us, we won’t have any protection from their attack,” Ben says, his face turning red.
“I thought they can tear through this bunker like cardboard anyway?” I say. Linda shoots me one of the dirtiest looks I’ve ever seen.
“I knew it was stupid to come here. Nita isn’t even here, she’d have more sense. She’s safely hiding in her “Shangri-La” and this whole charade was just to draw me out in the open!” Ben yells. “Okay okay let’s see. Going on the move is not a viable option, but the bunker doesn’t provide adequate protection… we need to reinforce the bunker. I’ll begin drawing up plans to tunnel deep into the earth and w can use whatever stone we find to reinforce the exterior of the structure… no, wait we can make concrete! I have the chemicals I need to make cement, and you’re strong enough to smash up whatever stone we find. We should be able to find a steady source of water assuming you’re able to drill down to the bedrock. Let’s see we’re approximately 640 feet above sea level, and bedrock would be located somewhere between 100 and minus 100 feet below sea level, and assuming Gavin can dig at a rate of at least thirty feet an hour, assuming proper care is taken to buttress the sides of tunnel which would need to be able to withstand somewhere between 145 and 180 metric tons, based on a stab at the soil composition around this place, now of course,” Ben says. His eyes dart back and forth and then roll backwards in his head. He’s disappearing into a mental world.
“Ben, why don’t you go take a nap,” Linda says and puts her hand on his arm.
“I should go take a nap,” Ben says and suddenly looks very tired. He walks off into the other room where we put down some blankets that we are calling beds.
“I’m guessing it was more than just your natural abilities of persuasion going on there,” I say to Linda after Ben is out of earshot.
“He had a hard day. He hasn’t done the Merge in a long time,” Linda says.
“And being this close to Nita has his anxiety level through the roof,” I add.
“We’re all a little on edge, or I guess just us two, you get to control that part of yourself, don’t you?” Linda asks.
“I suppose so. Although I find myself thinking about how to stop Nita more and more and I used to pride myself on not worrying about things until I had to. I’m not having panic attacks though, at least not yet.”
“We’ve all got our strengths. Ben’s brain can’t handle Nita. I know you think he’s just jealous that she stole his job, and I’m not denying that’s part of it, but it’s deeper than that. Ben tries to figure the whole world out, and he’s smart enough to do just that. Except for Nita. She’s beyond his comprehension. For a man who always understands, facing the one person he can’t is a terrifying experience.”
“Maybe I don’t want his brain after all. It seems like just as big a curse as a blessing.”
“Aren’t all Differentiations? You’ve learned to live with things no other Different has had to face, there are more than a thousand Big Brains, if they can handle it, you can,” Linda says with a smile. “Did you get what you need from Julia?”
“I have a sample of her tissue; I attached it to a spot on my back and got some blood flowing to it. The cells are surviving. I’ve been trying to splice up the new DNA with my old cells, but I haven’t been able to get…”
“I wasn’t asking about your biology mumbo-jumbo, I’m talking about your conversation with her. Did you make your decision about which side you’re on?”
“Nita made it easy. Maybe she’s right about Differents, maybe she’s wrong. But one person doesn’t get to conduct the debate entirely by herself.”
But Linda doesn’t seem to hear my explanation. Her eyes are off in what looks like the think.Net stare. Is she talking to Ben?
“Am I boring you?” I ask.
“There are people coming. Lots of people.”
On cue, a bunch of alarms start ringing from the room where Ben is sleeping.
“Um, every one of my proximity sensors is going off!” Ben yells.
“Looks like you were right Ben, Nita is coming!” I answer. He deserves his I-told-you-so.
“I don’t think it’s Nita, there are more than a hundred people out there. She wouldn’t send that many Differents,” Linda says.
Ben runs into the room, his head stuck in his shirt.
“Don’t be so sure. She’s been after me a long time, she sent the farm to make sure I don’t slip through her grasp again.”
There’s a low rumble in the distance and it’s getting closer. There’s more than one source.
“What’s that?” Linda says.
“It must be a Sound Producer, he’ll hit us with high frequency sound waves that can knock us out. I’ve got some ear protection,” Ben says and starts towards his supply room.
“It’s not Differents, it’s helicopters. Three of them. Linda was right this isn’t Nita,” I say.
“She could have manufactured helicopters,” Ben pleads.
There’s a loud high pitched squeak, a speaker turning on. Then a voice speaks.
“Gavin Stillman, this is the National Guard. We have you completely surrounded. You must exit the bunker and lay down flat on the ground. If you do not comply, we will respond with deadly force. You have one minute!” an authoritative voice says over a loudspeaker.
“I take back my admission that you were right Ben,” I say to break the silence left once the loudspeaker turns off.
“They could still be after me. I’ve been on the actual most wanted list for a long time too. It’s just that you present a more immediate physical threat which is why they’re focused on you,” Ben says
.
“I’m going to get ready,” I say and heads towards the supply room.
I approach the vat where I poured the Manna I carried out here and start guzzling. We don’t have much left, it only takes a few sips to get down to the bottom of the barrel.
“What are you doing?” Linda says to me.
“I left a sip for you guys, it should be more than enough for your metabolisms,” I say.
Ben walks into the room but he doesn’t join the conversation. Instead her starts leafing through the massive backpack he brought with him to the bunker.
“I understand that you are eating, I am asking why,” Linda says.
“I’ll need it to heal. It sounds like there are a lot of soldiers out there. Lots of potential gunshot wounds.”
“And how do you plan to respond to those gunshots. Are you going to carefully put each and every one of those soldiers to sleep? Even if you could pull it off, men will still die from explosions and stray gunfire. Are you ready to kill some young men serving their country?” Linda asks.
“I’m just supposed to surrender because they’ll hurt themselves trying to stop me? I can’t let them take me into custody; I might be the only one who can stop Nita,”
“So what? You’re going to punch people in the face until they accept your help? You said it yourself Gavin, the problem with Nita’s revolution is that it’s Nita’s. Is it any more right that you get to shove your heroics down the face of a country that doesn’t want it? Listen to the speakers, that is the United States Government’s opinion of you. You can listen, or you can kill some poor boys,” Linda says and points her finger at me.
Ben comes up behind her, and shoves a fabric vest over her head without any warning.
“What the hell?” Linda protests.
Ben helps her arms through the holes, and when the vest is in place, he applies a canister to a valve at the shoulders. The vest fills, like an inflatable life vest.
“My own design. A foam that hardens on contact with oxygen, making it bullet proof. Better than Kevlar and weighs a whole lot less,” Ben says, oblivious to the ethical debate unfolding before his eyes. “I’ll try to rig up some helmets.
