“We wish these things too.”
“I know that this is a big decision, but to get there, I firmly believe this bond between human and dragon is our best hope. Look at Scarlet. Have you spent more time with her to understand the changes done to her body? Even with those changes, that lone human could have killed her if he’d gotten a few more shots off with these phase pistols.” Jared held the new weapons up for Malsour to see.
“We will consider it.” Turning to Scarlet, Malsour called his little sister over. “I think it is time we join our minds together.”
“Let me get everyone out of your way first. My request still stands when you’ve had time to think on it. I’d ask that you spend time with Vanessa. I will not force any human or dragon to bond, but if the two of you agree, it would be a strong companionship.”
It took Jared a few minutes to round everyone up and usher them to the mouth of the cavern. The only person who resisted was Pete. He wanted to spend more time with Kirgor, but Jared promised him he’d have plenty of time to discuss science with him later.
“If any of you wish to remain down here, you are welcome. I doubt there will be more to do for you while they converse. You won’t hear anything, and chances are they will remain motionless for the duration. I don’t know how long this will take either.”
Everyone went back to their rooms. Jared used the time to instruct Pete, but it was obvious he’d already figured almost everything out about the interface, the description, and even understood the nanite structures. He was a very quick study, and the conversation they had about his enhancement path differed significantly from the one Jared had had with Carla. Pete didn’t need to enhance his mind to understand himself to a greater degree, but his body could use help.
“I won’t dictate how you assign them, but I will say it’s probably good not to rely on technology one hundred percent of the time. We don’t have a reliable energy source and you still don’t know how to charge the battery pack—”
“Actually…” Pete’s voice trailed off as he headed toward his room, motioning Jared to follow. They went into his workshop where Jared saw the remnants of the batteries he’d given the man to study.
Not understanding the technology even a little, Jared was at a loss as Pete looked at him with wide eyes.
“Help me out here, Pete. I know nothing about this tech. I mean, I know it needs charging, but that’s it.”
“L-L-Look at the light.”
Jared peered closer at the parts on the table and the indicator field, showing how many charges it had left. There was one green bar as opposed to being depleted.
“Wait, you figured out how to charge them already?”
“Yes, but only p-partially.”
“What do you mean, partially? Aren’t these just energy weapons?”
“They are, but they require another force to create the energy b-beam. This chamber here—” Pete pointed to a small, square object, sitting to the side, “—is a sealed g-gas chamber of some kind.” Pete picked up another part next to the object and brought it up closer to Jared’s face. “This is a plunger. It opens the gas chamber and lets out t-t-tiny amounts of the substance. P-presumably into a chamber on the pistol. The battery p-pack then uses the charges to ignite the substance, c-creating the energy beam.”
Jared’s face fell. They wouldn’t be able to charge the weapons. They’d have to make do with whatever they found or stole from the cities. There was no way they could synthesize any kind of gaseous substance that would cause the reaction Pete explained, nor did they have a way to reload that gas.
“You’re telling me there’s no way we can charge them fully?”
“Correct.” Pete sounded upset and a little angry with himself at the revelation.
“Hey, it’s not your fault. No need to stress over it. I assumed this was an easy fix, but I should know better by now. If we could create highly volatile energy beams with only electricity, humanity would’ve figured this out way back before the nuclear war.”
“I want to t-talk with Kirgor about it. He has an incredible mind. We talked about some things after our bonding, but we have much m-more to discuss.”
“Thanks for working on this, Pete. It’s disappointing, but at least we know and can plan accordingly. We do have a lot of ammunition from that last raid. Hopefully, we’ll also have all the robots, phase cannons, and drop ship parts to bring back and study soon. If they are still there when we go check, we’ll bring all the bigger parts into the cavern below so you can work on them with Kirgor. Hopefully, it won’t take you long to share a thought space with him and communicate at a much faster and more intellectual level than telepathy or normal speech.”
“I can’t wait!”
Jared left the room feeling equal parts sad and happy. Sad about the weapons, but happy to see Pete so excited. The man was truly a genius, and he’d found a kindred spirit with Kirgor. Between the two, they’d find solutions to give them an edge over the cities.
Jared went back to his room and found only Vanessa waiting for him.
“Where are Elle and Carla?”
“They’re in the dining hall with some others. Many people have questions for them about their bonds. I think several are close to asking some of Scarlet’s brothers to bond. I haven’t had that feeling yet, but I also haven’t spoken with Malsour or Ashazad in great detail. Do you really think Malsour would make a good match for me?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. You are both very strong, you’ve both led your families for years. He is thousands of years old, though, so I don’t know. It was a suggestion, and part of me is being over-protective in wanting it to work out. He is stronger than any of his brothers and will protect you better.”
Jared grabbed Vanessa by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you. If I can help you and Malsour bond so you have him as your protector, then I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen. I know a couple months isn’t all that long to get to know each other, but I’ve never felt the way I do about you with any other woman.”
Vanessa’s face softened, and a blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. “Jared, I…” she began.
He pressed his fingers to her lips. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, but I needed you to know how I feel. I can’t handle losing any more of the people I love. If Malsour agrees to bond with you, it will give me peace of mind.”
Vanessa reached up and cupped the side of Jared’s face, sending arcs of electricity through his body. Slowly she leaned in and planted a gentle but firm kiss on his lips and then wrapped him in a fierce embrace. Her body shuddered as she clung to him.
Jared craned his head around to see tears leaking down her face.
What did I say? Jared thought, concerned he’d upset her.
“Vanessa? Are you okay? I didn’t—”
She shook her head to stop his next words and looked up with her tear-stained eyes and a bright smile on her face. “I’m fine. More than fine.” She collected herself, thinking through her response. “I never imagined I’d find someone like you to love me and to love back. The years we spent below—” Vanessa’s voice caught in her throat. “I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done, and you’ve been so gentle these past months.”
The tears flowed down her cheeks, a stark contrast to the brilliant smile splitting her face.
“I feel the same way about you, Jared. When you went away with Scarlet, I feared you’d never return. Yes, it’s only been a short while, but, like you, I can’t argue with the feelings I have. If there’s one thing I learned from my enslavement, it’s that life is unpredictable, short, and we must make the most of every waking moment.”
Jared smiled at her, joy shining in his eyes as he bent and returned the kiss. Their feelings laid bare, he reveled in knowing she felt the same. He’d known deep down, but hearing the
words of affirmation made it real. There was still a lot he didn’t know about all of this, but they’d figure it out together.
He’d never been in a relationship with someone before and he wasn’t sure what came next. His parents had married when they were young, but in a world as fractured as theirs, did marriage still exist, or was a mutually-agreed monogamous relationship sufficient for the day? Someone had married his parents, but they’d had a priest in their colony, and they’d tried to follow tradition as much as possible. Jared and Vanessa could visit a colony that had a priest, but given her mutations, they wouldn’t be able to do that until she changed them back. If she changed them back.
No matter what they decided, he didn’t want to rush things between them. For now, he was content to hold her hand and share the occasional kiss. He wanted more, but he also wanted to respect her. His upbringing had taught him to respect and cherish women. His parents had been a great example and whatever he did, he wanted to emulate their relationship as much as possible. They’d loved each other with every fiber of their beings, and Jared didn’t remember hearing them fight even once as a child. Sure, they’d had their disagreements, but it was always civil and usually something trivial they worked out quickly.
For several long moments, neither he nor Vanessa spoke. They looked at each other, cheesy grins on their faces. After another short pause, they both exploded into laughter. They laughed at each other, letting all the pent-up emotions explode forth. Jared hadn’t realized how nervous he’d been for this revelation, and judging by Vanessa’s reaction, she’d felt the same. Now that it was all in the open, they’d figure out how to move forward together.
He smiled at her. “You know, a part of me thinks Carla and Elle did this on purpose. They’re usually in the room, and being suspiciously absent is telling. I’m guessing we were the only ones in denial about our feelings. How much do you want to bet that this won’t come as a surprise to anyone? Scarlet knows how I feel already. We’ve talked at length about it.”
“You have? Why did it take you so long to tell me?”
“Well, it’s only been a couple months. I didn’t want to take advantage of you, following the ordeal in the lake. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to like me for rescuing you.”
“Thank you for being so sensitive to our experiences. Though I am indebted to you for saving us, my feelings for you go beyond an obligation. When I first saw you, I knew there was something different about you. The way you carried yourself and how you immediately leaped to protect us from those creatures even though you yourself had an injury. I’ll forever be in your debt for rescuing us, but this…love I feel for you extends beyond gratefulness. I love you for who you are. For being someone worth loving and always putting everyone else’s needs before your own. Even with your vows and plans, you’ve helped everyone else grow stronger first.”
“Well, that is selfish of me. I can’t defeat the cities on my own.”
“Yes, and we’re willing to give that help, but you helped us even when it inconvenienced you and set back your plans. You could’ve joined the Daggers and accepted the civilian losses that might follow, but you didn’t. It’s not who you are. You can’t stand by and watch as innocent people get hurt. Your compassion is the characteristic I love most about you. Based on your past experiences, you have every right to be cold, hard, and no one would blame you, but you’re not.”
“You can thank my parents for that. They taught me to always value life and respect other people. It was rare for my parents to raise me that way. It wasn’t something many other parents taught their kids.”
Jared’s mind immediately went to Tiny and his lackeys. They’d done a number on him more times than he cared to count.
“Your parents would be proud of you.”
Jared felt tears glistening in his eyes and blinked furiously to hold them at bay. It didn’t matter how much time passed since their death, anytime he really thought about them and reminisced on their life, the pain came back in full and it was all he could do to hold up the emotional dam he’d erected.
“They might be proud, but I realize the way they raised me doesn’t work out here. In my colony, cut off from the rest of the world, sure. But out here? It’s gotten us into trouble more times than I’d like. I understand that now and have come to terms with it. I didn’t hesitate to kill the guy from the cities, or George when he showed his willingness to see us killed. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you and the others. No matter the personal cost.”
“Still, you value life, and won’t take innocent lives at the expense of seeing the cities pay.”
“That is still true and will always be true. People will get hurt and there’s nothing I can do to change that. I don’t like it, nor will I shrug it off as meaningless. I’ll need to live with the consequences, and that weighs heavily on me.”
Vanessa snuggled in closer to Jared, spreading warmth through his body.
Jared kissed the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair, a mixture of nature and some kind of flowery odor. Jared breathed in the intoxicating smell, savoring every moment with this incredible woman.
They sat for hours, losing track of time while they chatted about their childhood. Jared was eager to discuss his feelings with Scarlet, but he’d have plenty of time to do so later. He wanted to share a thought space with Scarlet to truly show what he felt for Vanessa. Words alone were woefully insufficient.
Several hours later, Elle and Kitty wandered back into the room, followed by Carla. A quick glance confirmed Jared’s suspicions about their absence. Both girls looked at each other conspiratorially and had massive grins on their faces. It was infectious, and Jared smiled back.
Vanessa saw him smile and twisted around to look at her sister.
Jared’s smile widened when he saw another blush color Vanessa’s cheeks. Jared gave her a quick peck on the cheek and stood. This side of Vanessa wasn’t something she showed often. When around others, she put on a stoic front and acted the part she played in their group. Behind closed doors, she let her guard down and wore her emotions on her sleeve.
Jared nudged Elle and Carla mentally. “Thank you.”
They nodded. Elle ran up to her sister and gave her a big hug followed by Carla, making Jared smile. Elle and Carla immediately launched into a discussion about the dragons and the conversations they’d had as if they weren’t in cahoots to give him and Vanessa alone time.
Before they completely immersed themselves in the intriguing discussion, Jared interrupted. “Hey Carla, where’s Attis?”
“Down in the clearing. He’s afraid to go underground.”
“Okay, thanks. He’s lived in this area for quite a while, so I don’t think he’ll set off any alarms if the cities see him. Just try to keep him grounded as much as possible these next couple days.”
“I will,” Carla said and jumped back into the other conversation without missing a beat.
Sometimes Jared didn’t know how women multi-tasked. Sure, he could do it now, but he’d needed to make some serious enhancements to his mind. It seemed to come naturally for most women and he envied them for it.
Speaking of mental abilities…
“Vanessa, I’m heading down to see Scarlet,” Jared called over his shoulder as he walked from the room.
The only response he got was a coy smile and a small wave.
Jared chuckled, his world bright and full of hope. He only wished this feeling would stay with him through the difficult times ahead. Normally, thinking about the future would dim his outlook, but today he didn’t think anything could take that away from him.
He didn’t tell anyone else he was going down to the den. He planned to immerse himself with Scarlet for a time and didn’t need to worry about others. He and Scarlet had many things to think about, including his new relationship with Vanessa. They also needed to figure out what to do about the cities a
nd if they should even stay in the area. It might be time for them to head further inland and get as far from the coast as much as possible. Then, the cities would be no concern.
I wonder why the cities only float above the oceans?
Shrugging, he made his way down to the cavern. It was a thought for another day. For now, he needed to sort out his feelings and figure out their future. Not just his future with Vanessa, but the future of everyone in their small colony.
Nearly to the bottom of the tunnel, a low rumbling echoed off the cavern walls and brought Jared to a stop. Cocking his head to the side, he listened intently to identify the source of the noise. It sounded like the low rumble of a thunderstorm, but he had seen no clouds in the sky, and it was persistent rather than booming and short like thunder.
“Scarlet, there’s something going on up above. Are there any people down there?”
“Pete and a few others joined us a short time ago.”
“Please have everyone stay down here until I can figure it out.”
“We will be fine here. I will make sure none of the water folk leave.”
“Thanks! I’ll be back in a few. Can you also send a warning to those up in their rooms to stay put? I’m not sure my telepathy will reach everyone from here.”
“Everyone, please stay in your rooms. Jared is investigating the rumbling sounds you hear.”
Jared crept back to the top of the tunnel to see if he could identify the source of the noise, but he saw nothing. The sound steadily grew louder. It wasn’t unbearably loud, or close by, but it wasn’t something he’d heard before and had no way to pinpoint the source.
Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure Page 17