by D. S. Murphy
I bit my lip, I needed time to think. On second thought, what did it matter what I told people now. Wasn’t I trying to change this future? If I told him, maybe he could help me get back and change things. Then I remembered what Tracy said. People from this time aren’t going to want to be erased. They’ll resist. Instead I went on offense.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” I said. “You lied to me. You brought me to Tracy’s house just so you could get some credit. I heard you.”
“I didn’t bring you here for the reward; I brought you here for your own protection. You’re safe here. But you must have figured that out already, or you wouldn’t have come back.”
He had me there. What could I tell him? Any advanced technology seems like magic.
“You won’t believe me, even if I tell you the truth, so can we just move on for now? I’m here for a mission, a very important mission. I disappeared because… I have some next-level tech that lets me travel anywhere, instantly.”
I held my breath, hoping that was enough. It sounded ridiculous to me, but Jake seemed to buy it. He took a breath and sighed.
“Ok,” he nodded. “What do you need me to do?”
14
I was grateful to have Jake with me. He was a survivor, used to being out in the wild, used to fighting off mods. I felt bad for lying to him, but what else could I do?
He was still looking at me expectantly. He looked out of place in Tracy’s house, with his dark, rugged clothes. I glanced at Tracy and shrugged. I’d already gotten what I’d come here for. Now what?
“I think you should probably go check out Defiance and talk to the commander. I kind of promised if I found you I’d send you over.”
“I don’t know how much time I have left,” I said. “And isn’t Defiance like ten miles away?”
Tracy’s face lit up and he smiled.
“I have something special I’ve been saving for you. A surprise—I’ve had it for years.”
He led us downstairs to his garage and flicked on the fluorescent lights. Inside were a dozen luxury cars and a hummer that almost looked like a tank. He passed them all and came to a strange looking black motorcycle.
“These are amazing,” Jake said, “but everyone knows you can’t drive. The sound attracts the mods, and then you’re stuck.”
“This is different,” Tracy said, pointing to the black bike. “It’s a hovercraft. Solar powered turbines, it doesn’t make nearly as much noise as a car, and you don’t need gas. You just charge it up in the sun.”
I ran my hand over the sleek metal body. Instead of tires it had large flat disks, like giant fans pointed downward.
“Where did you find this?” I asked.
“It was in the early developmental stages, a prototype. They’d have been ready for mass production in a few more years, if, you know… the world hadn’t ended. They thought I was crazy for the amount of money I offered, but I knew I had to get one. It’s for you.”
I straddled the bike.
“Come with me if you want to live,” I said in a foreign accent.
Jake looked confused, but Tracy grinned.
“I haven’t heard a good Terminator reference in about twenty years.”
He handed us a pair of motorcycle goggles and helmets.
“Oh, one more thing,” he said. He pressed a button and the side wall of the garage flipped out, showing an arsenal of guns and weapons.
“Woah,” Jake and I said together.
Tracy grabbed something that looked like an Uzi and handed it to me. “Safety. On, off. Reload the clip here. And don’t kill yourself, it’s easier than you’d think it would be.”
“I didn’t think you traded in weapons.” Jake said.
“I usually don’t. I trade juice for food.”
“Juice?” I asked.
“Energy. Electricity. That’s the most popular form of currency. It can recharge batteries, devices, stuff like that. I have my own generator. I’m not an arms dealer, and I don’t want to have to pick sides in some war.” He put a hand on Jake’s shoulder.
“But Alicia is important. More than you realize. So you take this bike and this gun, and you get her to Defiance to talk to the commander. I know it’s confusing and frustrating. You might learn what’s going on later, that’s not my call. Right now, you keep her safe.”
Jake nodded solemnly.
“Is it really that dangerous?” I asked.
“It shouldn’t be. It’s a straight shot on the roads. With cars, the mods will hear you coming and block your path. With this baby, they shouldn’t hear you until you’re passing them, and if you drive fast they won’t catch up. Though if you drive slowly, they could follow you. So drive fast.”
“My pleasure,” said Jake, strapping on the helmet. He pushed his dark long hair out of his eyes and adjusted the round motorcycle goggles. It made him look like a steampunk aviator.
“On second thought,” Tracy said eyeing Jake, who was trying to figure out how to turn the vehicle on, “maybe you better drive.”
“I don’t have a license,” I said.
“That’s cute, kid,” he smiled. “You have more experience operating vehicles than he does, and he’s got more experience with weaponry. It’s just like riding a bike. A flying bike. Jake will tell you where to go.”
Tracy opened the garage door and pulled the craft out into the driveway. I straddled the seat and Jake slipped on behind me. I could feel his warm body pressed against my back, and I blushed as he wrapped his arms around me.
Tracy raised one eyebrow at us, which made my cheeks turn even redder. I was glad Jake was behind me and couldn’t see my face.
“Don’t use the guns unless you have to, they’ll draw more attention. The trick is, not to stick around in one spot making noise. You’ll be safe once you get to Defiance.”
He tapped the back of the machine. I twisted the handle to accelerate down the driveway. The craft kicked up dust behind us, but was remarkably silent—like the hum of a vacuum cleaner. I turned left on Manchester street, then headed west until I hit Wild Horse Creek road. This area used to be mostly orchards and farmland. Under the heavy foliage I could see the remains of a white picket fence along the road.
It was a relief not to be walking, and driving the bike was exhilarating. My blond hair was flying behind me. I realized suddenly if I disappeared, Jake would be on the back of a speeding vehicle with nobody steering. My knuckles turned white as I squeezed the handlebars. The bike hummed and blew up leaves and branches as we flew down the road, but it was so quiet I could still hear bird calls.
But I’d only been here a couple hours, I should have several more hours left. Once I’d convinced myself I wasn’t going to disappear on the journey, I found myself enjoying the drive. It was quiet, peaceful. The weather was clear and bright, and the roads were lined with trees and wildflowers.
But then we came to an intersection crossing the highway. There were dozens of cars—some looked like they’d crashed together and blocked traffic, others were merely abandoned, their doors hanging open like an invitation. Remnants lay scattered around the wreckage, Several were laying side by side, as if someone had tried to move the bodies. Others were still in their vehicles, their bony hands on the wheel like they were late to work.
I felt ashamed for enjoying myself, even a little bit. I couldn’t let myself forget that this quiet future was the result of the downfall of civilization. That the remaining humans had to hide and fight for survival. Facing the very real threat of being violently and savagely attacked, all the time. And if the mods didn’t get you, Zamonta’s crew would pick you up and use you for a science experiment. This wasn’t an idyllic utopia. This was a post-apocalyptic nightmare.
We crossed a set of railroad tracks, and then I saw the river through the thinning trees. Jake pointed to an exit, which led down to the waterfront. My heart started racing when I saw men with rifles blocking the road, but Jake waved to them and they motioned me forward. When I park
ed the craft and took off my helmet and goggles, I could see there were snipers in the trees as well. More men with guns made a trail all the way down to the river, where I could see a loading ramp and several row boats. The Missouri river was wide and deeper than I remembered it.
“What’s all this?” I asked.
“River crossing.”
“We’re taking a boat?”
“Yeah, end of the line for this beast, I’m sorry to say,” Jake said, pulling off his helmet and shaking out his hair.
“Where did you get that thing?” a boy our age said walking up. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It’s not mine,” he said. “It’s hers.”
The boy looked me up and down, then back at Jake and raised an eyebrow.
“And where’d she come from?” he asked.
“Alicia, this is my friend Sam,” he said. “Sam, meet Alicia. As for where she came from or where she’s going, you’ll need to ask her yourself. I’m just her guide. But we’re kind of in a hurry, so maybe over drinks tonight?”
“Your treat,” Sam grinned. “Alright, you know the drill. Check the weapons, get a pat down, pay the toll for passage.”
I gave up my Uzi with reluctance. I hadn’t even had a chance to use it.
“Don’t worry,” Jake whispered. “We can come back and get it later. These aren’t mercs or scavengers, nobody steals from Defiance. If you need to—take off—again, I’ll keep your stuff safe for until you come back. Same with your hoverbike.”
The guards patted us down and checked my backpack. They pulled out my hunting knife and tossed it into a pile of guns, swords and other weaponry.
“Keep an eye on the bike for me and I might take you for a ride later,” Jake yelled to Sam. He waved us off, then we walked down to the water.
Jake fished into his pockets and pulled out a handful of batteries. He stepped into a rowboat and handed them to the guide, an older man with gray hair, tanned skin and bright blue eyes. The man touched wires to both ends of each battery, using a small device that hung around his neck. All of Jake’s batteries produced a green light. Jake gave me a hand into the boat, then we pushed off and started rowing across.
As we approached the far bank on the other side of the river, I couldn’t see over the solid wall surrounding the city. The structure looked medieval—pine trees stripped bare and sharpened at one end. They’d stuck these into the ground tight all along the edge of the river. It went as far as I could see.
“The mods can’t get in?” I asked.
“The river goes all the way around the city,” Jake said. “Mods can’t swim, water freaks them out.”
“And Zamonta leaves you alone?”
“They have so far. Defiance is like a fortress. Even if they launched a hundred boats, we’d shoot them with fire arrows on the crossing. We’re safe. Have been all my life.”
“You grew up here?”
“Born and raised.”
“How many people live here?” I asked in awe.
“About ten thousand. We’re one of the biggest communities left, that I know of. There are other pockets of civilization left. Fortified farmhouses or strongholds—each a nation unto its own, usually led by a tyrant. But Defiance is different. You’ll see. I’ve travelled more than most. At least a hundred miles in every direction. Defiance is the only place I’d call home.”
There was a dock on the other side and we got off the boat. We had to check in by the main gate and give our names, which were written down. My eyes widened as we entered the gates.
The buildings closest to the wall were being eaten alive by the sprawling foliage and wildlife, but the center was a time capsule—it hadn’t changed at all. If anything, it looked better, like some kind of million dollar gentrified urban reclamation project.
There was a waterfall in the middle of the city, divided into streams of water that fanned out through the streets, watering dozens of well-planned gardens. Kids were playing with puppies, butterflies drifted among the flower beds, and there was some kind of public market happening, with music and food stalls. It was a goddamn garden of Eden.
My eyes watered up. It was the first sign I’d seen of civilization, of normalcy. If there were other cities like this, maybe humanity would be okay. If they could do it here, they could do it in other places too.
I saw a flash of color as a shape cut through the crowd towards us. A young girl in a red dress threw herself at Jake, wrapping herself around him and knocking him over on the grass.
“I win,” she smirked, holding a small blade against his neck. “You’re losing your edge.”
“I wasn’t ready,” he said. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
“Always be ready,” she said, her dark eyes momentarily solemn. “You taught me that. Bring me anything?”
“Alicia,” Jake said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a package of Skittles, “this is my sister, Annabelle.”
“Nice to meet you,” she curtsied, stuffing the Skittles into her pocket.
“I’ve got to take Alicia to meet the commander, it’s kind of urgent, you seen her?”
“She’s in the chapel.”
“And Meredith?” Jake asked. Annabelle shrugged. “Can you find her and give her these?” Jake asked, pulling out a large pack of batteries from his bag. Annabelle nodded, then ran off with the batteries.
“Is that what you do for a living?” I asked. “Collect Skittles and batteries?”
“I’m a scavenger, it’s what I do. I find tech or supplies, take it to Tracy or other traders, get paid with juice. Something might be worthless to one person and valuable to another. There’s a lot of profit to be made just shifting things around—if you’re brave enough to face the wilds. Tracy, for example, loves Pop-Tarts and Diet Coke, but he wouldn’t risk his own life for them.”
“Who owns all of this?” I asked.
“The commander, mostly. There’s a council, but she calls the shots. People can rent out space for their family garden but they can’t hoard. Everybody in Defiance gets fed. It’s one of the rules.”
“What do they do in return?”
“They provide a skill or a service. A lot of us are scavengers, we go out looking for things that improve the city, fix things that get broken. We have a library, we have a music store. We have shops with appliances. Most people don’t have big houses. Not everyone needs their very own radio. iPhones take a lot of energy, so those old fashioned, simple mp3 players are more popular. They can run for a month on a good battery. There are stores with computers where you can add music to your device.”
“You guys still use iPhones?” I asked.
“When I was a kid, we used to skip them across the river, or build towers with them.” Jake smirked. “Most common phone in America. There are thousands of them.”
We entered an older section of the city with cobblestone streets, and colonial architecture. At the end of the street was a church. Part of the roof had collapsed, letting in a beam of light inside. My jaw dropped at the scene inside. Most of the floor was covered in dirt, and a rose garden extended through the interior, nourished by a trickles of water that were running down the walls. The pews had been removed, as well as the large crucifix that would normally be in the front. The stained glass windows were intact and sent splashes of color on the pink and red petals.
In the front of the church, trimming a rose bush with a pair of garden shears, was a woman with her back to us. I froze in disbelief as she turned to face us. She smiled at me, and it was a smile I knew and recognized. My sister’s smile.
***
Tamara’s face lit up and she pulled me into a tight hug.
“Oh my god, finally. You can’t tell how excited I am to see you. Jake, please excuse Alicia and me, we have catching up to do.”
Jake frowned, but nodded and backed out of the chapel, leaving me alone with my sister.
She was older, but it was undoubtedly her.
“You haven’t
changed a bit,” she said. “How old are you?”
“Almost sixteen.”
“Sophomore in high school?” she asked.
I nodded.
“When are you from exactly?”
“You just came over for dinner... Thanksgiving.”
She reached up and stroked my cheek.
“I really can’t believe this.”
“Then why don’t you seem surprised?”
“You told me about all this. You told me you would travel into the future. You told me what was going to happen, D-day, the modifieds. You told me everything.”
“So you built this place?” I asked.
“Defiance? You did this. It was your idea.”
“This place is incredible. But I haven’t done anything, like at all. So it’s kind of crazy.”
“I know, this must be one of your first trips, right? I can’t imagine how it must have been, the first time, out there. Next time you come, just jump from anywhere inside the city, inside Defiance. You’ll be safe here. No mods.”
“How did you manage it?”
“How much time do you have?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. An hour or two probably, though last time it lasted much longer than I expected.”
“There’s so much I want to tell you and show you. Let’s take a walk.” She linked her arm in mine and led me towards the entrance.
“I knew you’d be coming of course, I mean you told me when you’d come, but I wasn’t totally sure—that was years ago. And a lot has happened. Still, I planned a welcome banquet for you, I hope you can stay.”
We stopped a couple blocks away outside a tall apartment building in the center of the city. It was almost twice the size of the other buildings in Defiance.
“I even have a room made up for you, so you can spend the night. You told me you get more time here, right? Like a few hours in your time is worth more here?”
“Yeah, it’s hard to predict. I think it’s like ten to one, but I’m not sure yet.”
