ONE NATION: A Post Apocalyptic, Dystopian Saga

by Michael W. Huard

  A motto for the Mystical Slayers was: if striking was not going well, take it to the ground. Use Jiu-jitsu to one’s advantage.

  Even though Brin was trained in the art and was a decent grappler for her young age, the cyborg was better. They rolled about and it was Aliah who ended up on top. She right away punched down fiercely into Brin’s facial area, knocking her out after several strong strikes.

  Bud was back at it, attacking Aliah now. He leaped at her, chewing into her artificial flesh.

  He tore at her leg, trying to protect Brin. Aliah reached down and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and with ease, chucked the dog across the cemetery. He flew over many rows of stones and she soon heard from him no more.

  The cyborg rolled her neck some after the fighting was over. She then scanned the area, almost in hopes that more of these so-called Mystical Slayers were about. Perhaps others had arrived looking for their friends? But she saw no one.

  Bummer, I was hoping for another challenge, she thought inside her head.

  She hoisted Brin up on her shoulder and took her to the small ship close by.

  Another one of these women was now apprehended. I am sure the president will be pleased.

  Soon, Aliah flew back to New York with her prize.

  When the news spread that Brin had left on a rescue mission regarding the missing Raegan and Jansa, all chaos broke out in diplomatic housing stations in Washington where the sisterhood were hiding, and an immediate gathering was at hand.

  Mahira, the sisterhood’s fiery redhead and spark plug gladiator, was up in arms at the news.

  “What the fuck is going on? I’ve been begging to get out of here for months to fight, Chaya gets a trip out of nowhere, and now these two disappear out of the blue as well. To make matters worse, now we can't find them?”

  “Brin’s not back either,” Tyne Gem then announced. Tyne was the sisterhood’s own cyborg and smart as a whip. Her bright blue eyes were on full alert and she appeared very concerned.

  Mahira again called out her frustration more. “What the hell is going on?”

  Chaya was gone to visit Ella Von Stybeck in California, to meet with her as well as some of the California representatives of the Alliance. She would have had a much clear head in this case, but again she was gone. So, someone had to take over in the randomness of what had just occurred.

  So, it was Paka and Sinaye who tried to calm everyone down some.

  “Relax.” Sinaye called forth. The sisterhood’s top robotics expert and scientist shook her hands as if to tell all to quiet down.

  “This is all happening so fast. We all need to chill out.” Sinaye had been gone for some time, yet her return from a far-off region was a big bonus to the sisterhood.

  Paka had also been gone for a while, on a trip to Mars. She too raised her hands, shushing everyone. “We have to focus, please stop talking all at once.” The intimidating, black-skinned, afro-haired woman would make anyone be quiet.

  In the room now were several women and teens. Sun, Johan, Naiera, and now just coming in was Grammy Wal. Everyone still continued to talk amongst themselves.

  Resin, Sinaye’s mate, finally arrived and shouted loudly, “Ladies, we must have order here.”

  Sinaye tried again to get everybody to calm down as well. “Listen, evidently the two of them went to see Governor Bends. I would imagine they were to keep a low profile. It was a secret visit. I mean, I’m not a hundred percent sure. Yet this seems to make the most sense.”

  “But what about Brin?” Sun asked. Sun was an up-and-coming red head with amazing laser pistol skills. She was also one on the teens that had a hard time just doing nothing these days.

  The sisterhood’s cyborg, Tyne Gem, then intervened. “It appears that Brin got some sort of distress call or found something out from our source in New York. She went after them, thinking she could get them out of there on her own.”

  “Did she tell anyone?” Grammy Wal asked.

  Resin, who was once involved in the Y-Wood Corporation himself, fairly high up in their rankings, listened to everything closely. He had since fallen in love with Sin, the two of them spending much time on Enceladus, a moon located on Saturn. Together, they had a daughter, Celestial.

  Since their return, he had joined with her and the sisterhood. He was a worthy addition.

  No one spoke up about Brin telling anyone where she had gone, so Resin went on.

  “You guys can't overreact. That's just what they want you to do. We're supposed to be in hiding. If everything goes crazy and we go after the Corporation, they'll come attack us and there will be nothing left of the Mystical Slayers. The bottom line is, we have to fight them from within, or we'll have no chance.”

  Mahira was very perturbed even still. “When will this ever end?” she said, banging her fist on her forehead.

  Johan, the son of Reagan, was upset too. “Where is my mother?”

  He was pleading for more information. All of the sisterhood were.

  Sun herself knew something was very wrong. “Don't leave us all in the dark. Where are Raegan and Jansa now? That’s what we need to know.”

  Voices all about grew louder as everyone tried to put their own two cents in. It was hard to hear any words being said. Each person now was speaking over one another.

  Sinaye finally screamed at the top of her lungs. “All of you, each and every one of you, shut the hell up! We need to get to the bottom of this and focus. Zip it!”

  Tyne then explained that she would go to Stacee, the mainframe computer system of the sisterhood, and download any information that was available as of the last hour or so.

  The others tried to calm down and wait patiently.

  It wasn't a mere five minutes later when Tyne Gem returned, shaking her head.

  “Stacee has hacked into all she can, and this is what she found out. I want to say though, this info I feel was made to be available, nothing was hidden. They want us to know everything. The word is that both our sisters have been captured by the Y-Wood Corporation. They are being held for ransom in New York.”

  The whole meeting room erupted in commotion, but Tyne yelled out, “Stop. I am not finished. Let me explain what more has been put out. Anyone who values their lives should come to Y-Wood headquarters immediately. It has also been spread wide that if all their remaining comrades come in and surrender, the lives of both women will be spared.”

  “This is ludicrous,” the gladiator Mahira spat out. “It’s an obvious trap!”

  Resin tried to calm her down, putting a hand out on her shoulder, but she slapped it away.

  “It will be a cold day in Hell before we surrender to those bastards.” Mahira added, raising her fist up in defiance.

  Resin was then joined by Sinaye. She looked to Mahira. “I know what you're saying, but we just can't go there and think we can infiltrate their massive building, which is under tons of coverage as they await us trying such a rescue maneuver. They’re expecting that and will be fully prepared.”

  Resin nodded his head. “It would be a futile attempt.”

  It was then the sisterhood’s older overseer, Grammy Wal, gave her thought on the matter. “We need a plan, and it better be a good one.”

  Tyne gem then added, “Resin is right. We cannot just attack the Corporation headquarters. They will be expecting us. We need another option.”

  “What a mess!” Paka announced. “They should have known better than to linger out on their own. And what about Brin? Has anyone heard anything yet?”

  Sin whispered to Tyne and then shook her head. “We know only that she went out there to Arlington Cemetery in Virginia, looking for them, and that’s the last spot she most likely was.”

  Sinaye shrugged her shoulders after stating this.

  The rest of the sisters and Johan were now suddenly quiet. Each was lost in thoughts about what to do next. There was grave concern now on all their faces. The teenage boy knew very well what it was like to be taken by the Y-Wood Corporatio
n. He had suffered this fate years ago.

  Taken as prisoners, Raegan and Jansa were indeed flown directly to New York.

  The proverbial shit was hitting the fan now. They had actually gone out without telling anyone and who knew what would happen next? Their lives were definitely on the line.

  Both were eventually placed in holding cells within the bowels of the Empire State Building. They were separated in small rooms right next to one another.

  It was late that evening when the President himself came down to greet them. Of course, he was accompanied by his super robot, Galax.

  The former military leader was not perfect with his words, but he wanted to express his feelings nevertheless, for they had caught themselves two of the most infamous freedom-fighting individuals in the country.

  He paced back and forth across each of the woman cells, while his robot just stood still in the center hall between both prison cells. After a brief moment, President Purcell spoke. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Berlin Purcell. I am the president of the Y-Wood Corporation and of the country itself, but you know all that. I also know that what you really only care about is what I'm going to do with the two of you. And I suppose I'm going to tell you just that.”

  He walked over to Raegan’s cell and peered into her small, iron-barred window.

  “Here we have the notorious leader of the Slayer women, Raegan James. Yeah, we know who you are. You are a descendant of generations of a special breed of fighting woman. Those who live on spiritual virtues and patriotic dreams. Those who have uncovered a time capsule presenting the Bible book. The tome about the way to live life in the eyes of some supreme being who lives amongst us. Or should I say, above us.”

  He sort of laughed as he smirked over at Galax. He then asked his powerful bot a question. “So, my friend, what do you think of all this gibber jabber? This story book and bible nonsense?”

  The robot contemplated his answer, searching in his massive data bank through his memory chips and soon stating, “I don't feel the need to worship some being that rules over one’s mindset. It is rather foolish in my opinion.”

  President Purcell looked through the window at Raegan and tilted his head to the side, as if saying ‘There you go!’

  He then asked Galax, “And what do you think of us having these criminals in cages?”

  Galax answered immediately, “I think it is a worthy accomplishment, master. The destruction they have caused through the years is something that needs to stop.”

  Purcell again went on about Raegan. “So, what we have here is a woman who was once an undercover reporter under the guise working for Y-Wood. I recall back in the day of Arn Marcou’s reign, you worked with another Corporation employee. Lomax? Oh wait, he’s dead now. Traitors never end up alive, my dear.”

  Raegan ran up to the door, shaking the window bars and screaming out, “You know very well he was murdered by Corporation robots.”

  President Purcell backed away a step, watching the woman try and bend the bars open.

  He shook his head. “They will not bend, my dear. Even if you use the sisterhood’s secret drug running in your veins, you will not succeed. You are not getting out, darling.”

  He then walked to Jansa’s cell window.

  “And over here we have the spectacular doctor, Jansa Daven. You are known for your research and cancer-curing team. Yet here you’re a simple prisoner of myself.

  “Now, if I’m not mistaken, I remember on the bridge in San Francisco or wherever it was in California, a male friend saved you. He stepped in front of you and took a fatal hit. Oh dear, how horrible that was to see occur.”

  It was then that Jansa too ran to her cell window bars, banging on them, furious and upset.

  “What do you want with us?” Raegan called over from her cell.

  Purcell looked at Galax. “Maybe it’s best you explain what I want with these two?”

  The tall silver-and-blue robot nodded, running data through his system once more.

  Jansa then spat out, “Your time will come. I promise you.”

  The president frowned. “From your position, dear, my time is just fine. Now, Galax, you were about to say?”

  The robot then announced, “At one point, these women killed the former president, had his own compound in Boston Massachusetts, at Old Fenway Park, destroyed, and in the process, destroyed all the decades, if not centuries, of research and creations there. And then they shot down numerous Corporation vessels and soldiers while eventually blowing the top off of this very building itself. The cost was in the billions for repairs and recovery. We had to work with other nations such as China, Russia, and North Korea, just to get the needed supplies. Lastly, this sisterhood stole from Y-Wood, the Washington D.C. Capitol grounds, electing a governor on their own terms.”

  Galax paused for a moment, looking at his master.

  Purcell seemed a bit pissed. “Oh, by all means, go on!” he announced.

  “So,” Galax continued. “Here are two of the leaders of this very sisterhood, the ones people are calling freedom givers, hope bringers, and spiritual descendants of what was once a revolution in America. My data tells me their comrade, the governor, was once a girlfriend of yours, sir.”

  President Purcell chuckled some. That was random, he thought.

  “Well, she's old and ready be sent to her grave either way,” the president than added.

  There was a sudden silence in the hallway. No one said anything for a few moments. It was then the president broke the silence. “I have to admit, you pesky women have done enough. We're going to lure you all out and put a final end to your rebellious ways. Let us ask Galax what he would do with you all, if he was me?”

  The robot nodded and began announcing his own thoughts once more.

  “We have here people who have caused great destruction.” After contemplating the issues at hand as well as in the Corporation’s future, his reply was straight and to the point. “Simply put, sir, we cannot allow this sisterhood to continue.”

  “Well, there you are,” The president said, walking to Raegan’s cell window. “The days of your little group are over. I would advise that you both get a little rest, because we have a big surprise for you tomorrow.”

  Raegan and Jansa kept calm. No more yelling and screaming or banging on the doors would matter. They were in one heck of a bad predicament.

  It was a moot point to argue here.

  Back in Washington, D.C. the sisterhood planned their next move.

  After lots of deliberation, discussing every detail, not only with Resin, who had been involved with Y-Wood for years, but now also in full contact with Della Winstrip, who herself, as the sisterhood’s spy, was at the Empire State Building now.

  There really was but one choice. They had to perform some sort of desperate rescue of Raegan and Jansa immediately.

  Plans quickly were coming in motion. Yet no one was too sure how to succeed.

  Mahira, Sinaye, Paka, and Tyne gathered together in privacy. Each of them paced back and forth, trying to finalize some sort of strategy.

  It was then Mahira stated, “No matter what we choose to do, it’s sure to be a perilous fight!”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  It took forever for morning to come.

  The prisoners were soon escorted upstairs by several robotic soldiers, as each of them were still chained with their hands behind their back, the links leading all the way down to the shackles on their feet.

  Once higher up in the Empire State Building, they were brought into a fairly big chamber.

  Inside on an upriser sat President Purcell, Galax to his right, and Chancellor Tessa Zune to his left. “Good morning, ladies,” the president of the Y-Wood Corporation announced. “Here’s what must be accomplished today. You will tell me where your remaining sisterhood members are hiding. Once we apprehend each and every one of them, we will come to a fair agreement on what we shall do with you all.”

  Jansa right away called out in
disgust, “Yeah, keep dreaming, buddy. You expect us to believe that you’ll come to a fair bargain?”

  Tessa Zune almost lost it. The woman before her had guts.

  President Purcell was not so giddy.

  “There is one thing about me that you do not know,” he then stated. “I am a fair man, a reasonable person, and if I am to take an enemy, it does not mean I will kill them. In fact, you have my word, once all of the Mystical Slayers have been rounded up, we in fact will deploy them to various roles within our station. How does that sound, ladies?” he asked, looking specifically at Raegan.

  “It sounds like a whole lot of bullshit,” Raegan called out.

  “For some reason, I thought you'd say that,” the president announced. “Let us ask Galax if my word is to be taking for granted. My soldier, you've been with me from the beginning, a true elite, intelligent robot, but also a sentimental one who has become a friend of mine. You know my ways perhaps better than anyone else. Would you in all honestly say that my word is honorable?”

  Galax slowly turned his head to his master and then back to the women in chains.

  “Of all our time together sir, especially those spent in discussions in particular by the ocean, I have found that you are quite blunt, yet sincere.”

  Both the women shook their heads. They were in such a mess here.

  Raegan then declared, “We're not going to tell you anything. The bottom line is that you can keep asking all you want. It's not happening.”

  Jansa struggled some with her bonds before adding, “We will never give up. Our fellow sisters will not either. Not in a million years. Kill us both. Do what you must. You'll never know where the rest of them are, and you'll be dealing with them for the rest of your lives.”

  The council overseeing the discussions all turned to their right now.

  It was there a side panel opened and a doorway revealed itself. Walking through it was a woman, a cyborg type with long black hair. She was followed by, to both Raegan and Jansa’s shock, the young Mystical Slayer Brin. Brin was being shoved from the back by a tall, strong-looking, black crystal robot. He was really scary looking. Sinister in appearance with red spider-like veins scattered among his frame.