She looked out at the terrain and saw that the old man was quite far in front of her.
“Hey!” she called, running up to catch up with him. He moved briskly for a guy with a cane. “Where are you going?”
“Home,” he replied plainly.
This man was infuriating. How could someone be so mysterious? Who saves someone’s life but then acts like he wishes he hadn’t?
“Well that’s nice,” Taia said, sarcastically. “But how am I supposed to get home?” Taia asked, pointing at the truck she had arrived in. Carter was not lying. The Supes had seriously done a number on the vehicle.
It barely resembled a truck at all. It now resembled something closer to junkyard trash than an actual motorized vehicle.
“Not my problem,” The old man said.
“Not your problem??” Taia was infuriated. “What’s the point of you saving me if you’re only going to leave me here to die?! What kind of hero are you? What kind of sick—“
“I did save you!” the man interrupted rounding on Taia, taking off his sunglasses. “But I am no hero! Clearly, because I could only save you and not your friends. But I have cleared my conscious!! I am not some babysitter taking care of some kid! I already saved you from your death!”
The man was clearly furious, his eyes burning with rage. Taia should have been terrified. Taia should have left it alone. But it was rare that Taia Morris did what she should do.
Taia took a step forward, stood on the balls of her feet and got as close to the much taller man’s face as she could.
“And what do you think will happen,” Taia asked with steel. “When the freaking Core, finds 5 of its officers dead? And an unregistered human wandering through the Wasteland.”
The man’s eyes got wide.
“You,” Taia spat. “Have condemned me to a fate worse than death.”
Taia could see the wheels turning in the man’s head. The Regime was aware of the human Resistance. It is why they branded all of the humans that were under the banner of the Regime. All branded humans were either condemned to horrible conditions in Regime controlled cities where they would be branded from birth. Or they were made to be slaves to the Regime. Any non-branded human would obviously be part of the Resistance and would be tortured severely until information about the Resistance was given up.
The man sighed. “What did you say your name was?” he asked.
“Taia.”
The man looked confused. “Tia?”
“No, Taia.”
“Taylor?”
Taia was getting frustrated. “No,” she said fiercely. “TAY-a”.
The man looked at her strangely. “That,” he said. “Is a stupid name.”
He then turned away from her and began walking. Taia scoffed before following after him.
“And what’s your name?” she asked indignantly.
“Proof,” he said calmly.
“Ha!” Taia bellowed loudly. “And my name is dumb?”
Proof didn’t say anything. He just kept walking.
“So…” Taia began. “Are you going to help me get home or what?”
“I am.”
Taia eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Taia, who was a girl of many words, was becoming increasingly frustrated by Proof’s quiet and reserved nature.
“Well…” she asked again. “How?”
“We will discuss that when we get to my home.”
Taia looked around. Proof said that she didn’t live far, but from what she could see, all that there was around here was sand and desert.
“Are you sure your home is out here?” Taia asked.
Proof narrowed his eyes at her. Clearly she was annoying him. “I think I know where my own home is Taia,” he said icily.
Taia decided then that she would for once keep her mouth shut. She noticed that there were tire tracks in the sand near the trail they were walking on. Her heart was caught in her throat as she thought more Core members might be near. She then realized that these were the tire tracks of her own truck.
Proof stated that he saw them ride up. It would make sense that his bunker or hole in the ground or wherever he lived would be near the path that they took to get to the plant.
Taia had to stop herself from crying as she thought about the trap they had walked into. It was a miracle that she was alive. And that miracle was named Proof.
They walked for about 20 minutes in silence before they stopped before a large rock wall. It seemed to be a small mountain in the middle of the desert.
“Is there like a secret button or something that opens up a wall here?” Taia asked, genuinely confused.
She could not tell because of the scarf covering his face, but it seemed as if Proof was smiling.
“Something like that he said,” before walking towards her. “Are you afraid of heights?” he asked.
Confusion passed across Taia’s face before Proof wrapped his arms around her and they were lifted off the ground.
Taia screamed loudly as they quickly ascended hundreds of feet in the air.
When they landed and Proof let her go, she pointed her rifle at him.
“How dare you?” She exclaimed loudly, eyes wide. She could not tell but it seemed as if he were smirking.
“Put that gun down before you hurt yourself,” Proof said limping away from her.
Taia looked toward where he was walking. He had taken them to the top of the cliff and it was a cave. She followed him in. Somehow, he had turned a cave into quite a quaint living area.
He had a couch, what looked like cupboards, a sink and even something that resembled a shower. But what surprised Taia the most was the large bookshelf he had with an immeasurable number of books all messily on top of one another.
“You have a shower in a cave?” Taia asked. “How do you have running water?”
“I have associates,” Proof said “That….can do incredible things.”
Taia was sure he was talking about other Supes. Could there be more Supes like Proof? Some that were sympathetic to the human cause. Some that didn’t use their powers for evil. Wait, powers.
“Hey!” Taia exclaimed. “How can you fly? Supes are supposed to have only one base power and I thought yours was controlling gravity.”
“I did control gravity,” Proof said laying down his walking stick but still leaving on his scarf and plopping on the couch. He sat both his guns on the table. “You are correct. All Supes can only have one base power. Not one in existence has had more than one. But I just controlled the gravity around us to basically eliminate it so that we could ascend in the air.”
“So you can fly?” Taia asked.
“That’s what I just said,” Proof said exasperatedly. “It’s a lot of Supes that may have one base power but they can use the power in many ways so that they can do a lot of different things.”
Taia looked around the room. She wanted to sit down badly. But it was no way she was going to sit next to a Supe on a couch and no way was she going to sit on this man’s bed. She sat on the floor.
“So how are you going to get me home old man?” Taia asked.
Proof cocked his head to the side in confusion before shrugging. “Well,” he began. “Like I said, I have associates that can do incredible things. And one of them can help you.”
“A Supe?” Taia asked disbelieving.
“He is a man of honor,” Proof said sternly.
Taia could not believe this. It was already too much to have to trust one of these monsters. But to have to trust two. She did not know if she could stomach it, let alone actually do it.
“I do not trust Supes either,” Proof said. “They are a race of vile, despicable creatures who have forgotten compassion. But they are not all bad.”
“You mean ‘we’,” Taia said. “You’re Transcended too.”
She didn’t know why she felt so comfortable talking to Proof that way, considering she was pretty sure he could kill her moderately easily, but
she felt comfortable around him. She even felt guilt as he hung his head in something akin to shame.
“Yes,” he said. “I am.”
There was an awkward silence that Taia sought to fill. “So,” she began. “Where is this friend of yours?”
“He is in the city a few miles inland,” Proof said.
“Wait. You want me to go to a Supe city? Are you crazy?”
“It is the only way for you to get home.”
Taia could not believe this. He was asking her to commit suicide. To walk into a city where she was nothing more than trash. A city full of nothing but monsters.
“What about the human cities? The ones regulated by The Regime,” Taia said. “There might be somebody there from the Resistance. Someone from another sector that can get me to mine.”
Proof shook his head. “That’s impossible. I’ve met your Resistance,” The sarcastic way that he said the word infuriated Taia. “In my travels. You all are incapable of having spies in those cities.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Taia questioned indignantly.
Proof sighed. “These cities. They’re awful. They are nothing more than prisons used to keep humans under control. They give them only the minimum amount of food and supplies needed for them to survive. It’s despicable what the Regime does to these people.”
Proof looked up at her. “They also brand you all. They brand you as human and implant a chip in your arm so they can track your movements and make sure you don’t escape the city. Not that they’d need it. The cities are guarded by the Core at all times. No way could your people infiltrate any of them.”
Taia couldn’t believe this. “They brand even the ones in the city?” she asked sadly. “I thought they only did that to slaves.”
Proof got up and walked over to the sink, his back to her. He pulled his scarf down but since he was not facing her, she could not see his face. He started the water and brought the water to his face to wash it. When he was done he pulled his scarf up to his face and then turned around. Taia felt that to hide his face like that, this old man had to have some type of horrible scars.
“All human are slaves,” Proof said limping over to his bed and plopping down. “Anybody that is born not cursed with this genetic deformity to make them a monster, is a slave. But if you mean the humans that are enslaved to wealthy Supes instead of the ones in the internment camps; they are actually the ones better off.”
Taia was confused. “What do you mean?”
“Well if you live with a Supe they probably want you presentable and in the best condition possible. You get three square meals a day instead of one like at the camps. You get to bathe more than once a week. There’s no chance of your child being taken away from you. It’s a much better life than being in those cities. At least from what I’ve seen.”
Taia was depressed. Proof was right. Those conditions seemed absolutely deplorable. But something in particular stuck out in her mind about what Proof had said.
“What do you mean there’s no chance of your child being taken away?” Taia asked slowly.
Proof laughed bitterly. “Oh you’re oh so mighty Resistance doesn’t know? They take certain humans’ children away from them.”
Taia was aghast. “Why? Are they afraid of us? Of too many humans being born and us gaining too much power?”
Proof looked at her with something that she assumed resembled pity. She could not tell because of that darn scarf. “Scared of you? No. They don’t care if you all procreate. You aren’t a threat to the Regime at all. But scared of a Supe raised by humans? Yes.”
This was not adding up. A Supe raised by humans. Taia did not understand. “What are you talking about?” she asked. “Why would a Supe be raised by humans?”
Proof sat up and looked at her. “Wouldn’t a parent raise their own child?”
Taia’s patience was all but gone. “Darn it Proof, speak plainly.”
He sighed, his patience wearing thin as well. “When a Supe is born in a human family, the Regime takes the child from them. They don’t want any Supes to be sympathetic to the conditions that humans live in. Especially if that Supe can be potentially powerful. Enough of them can challenge the Regime,” he began trailing off. “Some say even one can make a difference,” he whispered.
But Taia has stopped listening. “No,” she said. “No, no, no.”
“Are you okay?” Proof asked.
She looked up at him. “Two humans can’t have a child that’s Transcended.”
“Yes they can,” Proof said.
“No they can’t,” Taia said defiantly.
“They can,” Proof continued. “It’s extremely rare but they can.”
“Then why has my Sector never had a Transcended child be born? We can barely have children as it is. So many of them are lost in delivery because of the fallout from the war making it harder for women to have children. ”
Proof shook his head. “No. Humans can have children as easy as ever,” he said. “If you want to bring them into this God forsaken world is another issue entirely. And sometimes those children are Transcended.”
“That’s impossible,” Taia said shaking her head. “My friend Kate who works at the hospital said almost 1 in every 50 child is stillborn. But my Sector has survived for nearly 200 years and we’ve never had a Supe born there.”
“No that is impossible,” Proof said. “Think about it. The Outbreak virus that first began changing humans was meant to make us evolve. But it only worked on the small portion of the population that were slightly more genetically advanced. It would only make sense that as time goes on more children would be born that are genetically advanced. It’s how evolution works. Sure, Two Supes would definitely have a child that will be a Supe because of genetics. Even a Supe and a human though that kind of relationship is discouraged, will always make a Supe child. But every now and then, very rarely, only for the past 2 decades, two humans will make a Transcended child as well.”
This wasn’t making any sense. “Well how do you know this?” Taia asked.
“I have lived here for years Taia,” Proof said. “I don’t understand how you all have not had any Supe children born into your Resistance but it doesn’t make any sense. Now I’m doubting your Resistance even more without any help from Transcendeds on your side.”
“Well they would probably be evil anyway,” Taia said bitterly.
“Do you think I’m evil?” Proof asked lightly. “I try my best not to be.”
Taia began to speak. “I’m sorry. Just when I’m upset I talk too--”
“It’s not Supes fault,” Proof interrupted. “That they’re evil. They’ve just never experienced loss. Humans were so weak and vulnerable and then were given the power of gods. Is it a wonder we lost ourselves somewhere along the way?”
Taia had horrible memories come flooding back to her.
“It is a person’s capacity to feel loss, I think, which makes one human,” Proof continued. “When someone has too much power, and has nothing to lose, what they do lose is their humanity. If Supes were given loving families that were human, they would see that humans are people too. Instead Supes are either raised by their own families of Supes who already think of humans as nothing more than rodents. Or they’re taken from their human families and trained to be members of the Core. Where they learn to hate humans.”
This was too much for Taia. “Wait,” she said. “So all members of the Core were born to human parents?”
“No,” Proof said. “Not all. Not even close to enough Supes are born to humans for that. It’s rare, remember? But that’s what the ones who are taken are forced to do if their powers are fit for the Core. Basically if their abilities have the potential to be potentially dangerous. It’s not their fault. Those with abilities not fit for combat are forced to do other things to serve the Regime.”
“How do you know this” Taia asked Proof. “All of this. How do you know that it’s true and not just talk?”
“Because m
y parents were human,” Proof began sadly. “And I was taken from them. And then they were taken from me.”
“You were part of the Core?” Taia’s eyes were wide. She could not believe this.
“A long time ago,” Proof began. “I was. I was somewhat of a prodigy they said. I lost myself but eventually I hated it. It became too much and I ran away. I can’t exist in that world.”
This was all too much for Taia to grasp. But it made sense. When she saw Proof in action, she had initially thought he had seemed trained. He had dispatched those Supes with so much ease. But to learn he had once been one of them terrified her.
She should run. For all she knew, this was a trap so that the Regime could find the resistance and take them out. She shouldn’t trust him. But she had no choice.
And Proof seemed so sincere. Plus, he honestly didn’t think humans were a threat to the Regime. And according to him, when he was part of the Core, the Regime didn’t think they were much of a threat either. But that didn’t make sense.
“I want to trust you Proof,” Taia began slowly. “But honestly, you’re giving me less and less reasons to.”
“Listen,” Proof said. “You asked me to get you home. If you want to do that on your own, there’s the door,” Proof pointed to where they had come in. Taia raised her eyebrow at the cave entrance.
“Well,” Proof continued. “It’s not a door. And you probably couldn’t get down. But--you know--you get the point.”
Taia couldn’t help but think Proof seemed slightly disappointed at the prospect of her leaving.
“Can I finish please?” Taia snapped. “Again, I want to trust you because I have to get home. But something about what you’re saying isn’t adding up. If the Regime knows about us and you say you know this because you were part of the Core and all, but they don’t care about us, why would they set this trap?”
“I don’t know,” Proof said sadly. “They were asking you for the coordinates to your base correct? Maybe that is what they wanted. For some reason, the Core can’t find your Sectors. But when I was in the Core, they did not care to know where you all were because we did not see you as a threat.”
“Well shows what you know,” Taia said. But she had to agree with Proof. Based off what happened today, it did not seem as if the Resistance could resist much of anything against the Regime. They just did not have the ability. But Taia did feel some relief. The nine Sectors had intentionally set themselves up centuries ago in different parts of the Wasteland completely isolated from the Regime. And it didn’t seem as if the expansion of the Regime had reached any of the Sectors yet.
Becoming Super Page 4
