Evolutionary Rebel

by J. D. Cavan

  Samantha sat back down. “It’s different now, in a lot of ways.”

  “Back then, even before you Actualized me, I was really into you. And then after you made me, I couldn’t hold my feelings in one bit.” Dani smiled at her.

  “Really, before?” she asked.

  “I didn’t want to push you, but I couldn’t help it.” Dani appeared as if she was remembering all the things they did together. Her mood seemed to be lightening.

  “I’d never been with a girl before, but I couldn’t help it either,” Samantha replied, suppressing a grin. “I know this is tough for you, the way things are with us.”

  “Is it possible that I’m not as hung up on you as much as you think I am,” Dani said. She stood up and pulled Samantha to her feet.

  She felt stupid at first but she knew the truth, Dani was very hung up on her. Samantha put a finger to her month and shushed her and leaned in close to her body and forgot about everything and gave into the moment. She wanted what she wanted and the distraction would help.

  She kissed Dani and let her touch her hips. It felt good as Dani ran her hands over her body. She touched Dani’s face and kissed her neck and then grabbed her hands tightly and held them. She felt her strong body on her, pushing into her. Their mouths were locked together and open. Samantha felt herself letting go – they would be on the ground soon. She started unlocking feelings she didn’t want so she checked them and took her mouth off of her lips. They continued to hold each other.

  “I think I finally get it,” Dani said, looking into her eyes. “Why you sent me East and not Lilith. I know you’ve told me, but I get it now.”

  “Get what?”

  “We are here for everyone,” Dani said.

  Samantha’s mouth dropped open and her stomach dipped. They were the exact words Lilith had said to her in her vision. She hadn’t told anyone about that. Dani walked away from her and back down the trail while she stayed looking over the landscape for one last time.

  She decided that Dani’s words were a coincidence, even though deep inside her she knew otherwise. Random events were always opportunities she just hadn’t figured it out yet.

  She emptied and de-cluttered her mind for a moment. So much had been running through her head, so it was nice to have the silence. Then it happened. She heard Pete again and panicked—if it was telepathy, it would alert Replica. But it was more like she was listening in on him, like he was talking to himself and she could hear him. She knew she should pull out of it, whatever it was. She disconnected and headed quickly down the trail toward the others.

  She couldn’t get it out of her head, however. Pete was begging for help, help from anyone.

  * * *

  SAMANTHA AND LUCA rushed down the trail ahead of everyone toward the truck. There was no time to tell them about Pete, or about Dani’s words mirroring Lilith’s in some strange synchronic occurrence.

  As they raced down the trail, she scanned the tree line for drones and listened for Replica helicopters. If they were coming, it could be any moment.

  She had tried to talk to Luca repeatedly, asking how they should approach the Potentials and if they had enough firepower, but all she got were one-word answers and grunts. He was still in some bad place with her, and by the time they reached the truck, she couldn’t take it anymore.

  “What the heck is wrong with you?” she stopped in front of the pickup, catching her breath. Luca unlocked the hard plastic cover that fit over the truck bed and pushed it up.

  “You said we’re in a rush, so let’s go.”

  “We are, but I need to know if there’s a problem with my Primary Protector. So what’s your problem?” she asserted.

  He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “You’re seriously considering surrendering to Myers and Aion? After everything we’ve been through together?” He shook his head. There was silence between them. Luca clenched his jaw and squinted down at the ground.

  “That’s what’s been bugging you? We’re days, maybe hours or minutes, from the end. Do you understand that, Luca? I haven’t told you everything, what’s in the future if we don’t stop Aion. But it’s very bad to the point that I would consider, for a second, bending an inch to Aion’s demands. It’s not personal.”

  “It is to me,” he said. Then she realized something. She had forgotten the fact that long ago, before Luca was her Primary Protector, they were friends—the closest of friends. The endless war against the Replica had hardened her more then she had imagined. It wasn’t so much that Luca didn’t care about the end of the human species—it was that he cared more about the end of her, and of them. So much for her compassionate trait.

  “You mean so much to me, and the fact that I would consider something as crazy as surrendering to messed-up Aion has nothing to do with that. I feel like I’ve been messing with your head and I haven’t even meant to.”

  Luca laughed aloud, and she looked at him strangely. “You’ve been messing with my head, in a good way, for forever now, Sam.”

  “I would miss you beyond anything if I had to leave you,” she took ahold of his hands and held them tightly. They never touched each other. It was the rule—high-status Ereb and their protectors needed that distance, and she’d forgotten the toll it took.

  “You don’t really understand my love for you.” Luca looked into her eyes. It was so incredibly honest, and she was speechless. “You’re my hero, Sam. You saved my life—gave me something to live for, a purpose. I’m not obsessed with you. I’m obsessed with what you represent. The only Ereb on the planet holding the key for something so much better for all of us.”

  Their hands reminded locked together. It was silent between them and the world around them.

  “I don’t know what to say.” She felt overwhelmed with the responsibilities she always knew she had. She heard the voices of the others coming down the trail.

  “You don’t need to say anything. Just know, I’m never leaving your side,” Luca said earnestly. “You will be the last thing I see, the last thought I have.”

  13

  SAMANTHA WAVED THEM forward as James turned the engine over on the Harley. The bike boomed loudly in the early morning air as he and Dani followed the pickup down the long windy dirt road out of the forest toward Route 515. It would get them to the Potentials in Acworth, Georgia.

  Samantha glanced out of the passenger side window of the pickup and scanned the area as best she could. She checked her mirror and watched them moving slowly behind.

  As they got closer to main road, she noticed something hovering over the trees. It was craft-like and darted off as soon as she spotted it. She knew it was a Replica Drone, couldn’t be anything else.

  She lowered her voice. “Luca, we’re being followed.”

  He glanced at her in concern. “You sure?”

  She nodded. “Pull over.”

  They had reached the end of the road, and it opened out onto the paved highway. It was empty and silent. It was still very early in the morning.

  “Stay here,” she told Janey and Bags as she jumped out of the truck.

  “What’s up?” James asked. He cut the engine on the bike. Dani took her hands off his waist.

  “We have company,” Samantha said. “Probably tracking us for a while.”

  “Drones?” Dani asked.

  “Yep,” she replied.

  “They know we are going to find Potentials?” Dani asked.

  “Maybe,” Samantha said. “We have to draw them out now.”

  James nodded and opened a compartment on the bike and pulled out a blaster and handed it to Dani. “We’ll see what we can do.”

  Samantha walked back to the pickup and got in. The bike started again and James drove around the truck to take the lead.

  “What’s happening?” Luca asked.

  “We’re going to try and get them to engage,” Samantha told everyone. Bags brought weapons up to Samantha and Luca as they followed James and Dani out onto the main route. James drove
the bike a couple of miles before they had open and empty road ahead of them.

  There were no houses anywhere in sight, just hilly fields on either side. James hit the gas and sped off away down the road and around a turn. Samantha thought she saw another drone dart off from behind a small embankment after them. Suddenly there was gunfire, and Luca took the truck around the corner.

  Dani was blasting away at two drones from the back of the bike as James raced down the road back towards them. The drones were returning fire. Dani hit one and it exploded in the air. Samantha, leaning out of the window, opened fire with her blasters and hit the other drone, sending it spinning off and careening down into the earth.

  James pulled the bike up next to the truck and parked it. He got off and started to walk over toward them. “That’s the end of that,” James said. “Not bad, just two drones.” A powerful blast landed right next to James, sending him off his feet.

  Samantha leapt out of the truck and opened fire on a fleet of drones that had quickly appeared over the trees. Dani and Luca began firing as well. They were under heavy attack, but they stayed shielded behind the truck and were able to gun down the drones. James pulled himself over and stood up. His arm was bleeding.

  “Look!” Janey shouted from the back seat pointing down the road. Vehicles were approaching rapidly. It was Replica for sure.

  “Damn!” Luca shouted.

  “They’ll have us blocked off!” Dani yelled. Replica helicopters could be seen coming up over the horizon from the other direction, while more drones suddenly appeared above them. It was a full-scale attack. They opened fire on the drones.

  “We’ll blast through them,” Samantha shouted. “Cover me!” she stepped out from behind the truck and walked toward the oncoming Replica vehicles while James, Dani, and Luca rained heavy fire on the drones.

  Samantha holstered her pistols and, facing the Replica vans, threw her hands out. The first van began tumbling while the others began crashing into it. They hadn’t blocked her telekinesis yet, big mistake. She swiped her hand using every ounce of her powers, and the vans went flying off the road, some bursting into flames. She felt the heat and smelled the burning gas and rubber.

  Samantha turned around and could see that they had taken the drones out, but the copters were almost on top of them. Rockets began screaming down from the copters, and one struck close to Samantha, launching her off her feet. She crashed down into a grassy embankment on the side of the road and was out cold for a moment.

  She came to and could see that both copters had the others pinned down, rounds of gunfire coming from the copters’ open doors. Replica with heavy assault weapons were firing on them. Samantha was barely conscious as she watched Janey get out of the back of the pickup. She tried to yell for her to stop but couldn’t get words out.

  A barrage of gunfire surrounded Janey when she raised her arm and sent one of the copters lurching and spinning widely out of control. It let off a rocket, but instead of landing down on them, it went off-target and hit the other copter, blowing it to pieces. Janey then sent the other copter into the earth, and it exploded into flames and debris.

  Samantha pulled herself up and ran over to Janey. Everyone was alive; beat up, but alive. They gathered together, black smoke surrounding them, flames popping loudly.

  “Holly crap Janey!” James said. Janey’s chest was rapidly rising and falling. She looked like she was in shock.

  Samantha threw her arms around her. “You scared the hell out of me,” she said.

  “More are coming, and they’ll be blocking our powers,” Janey said. Her face changed from innocent surprise to determination. She pointed down the road, in the direction they had come. More Replica vehicles were on the way. Samantha could hear more copters over the horizon.

  Samantha headed back toward the truck quickly. “Let’s get moving.”

  “Sam,” James said. “Take the bike, go with Luca.”

  She looked at him oddly and then realized what he was saying. “I’m not leaving you,” she replied.

  “We have no choice. We’ll draw them off you, meet up after.”

  Samantha hesitated, but Luca didn’t. He was already on the bike and pulled up next to her. Janey ran to her and hugged her before she turned away and followed James into the truck. Dani came over to her.

  “It’s the only way.” Dani threw her arms around her and they embraced tightly.

  Samantha stared into her eyes. “Good luck.”

  “Find us another Red Star, would’ya.” Dani kissed her goodbye and raced off toward the truck.

  She felt the guilt. She and Luca were headed on the open road, while the others were about to face the Replica.

  “Now Sam!” Luca shouted over the roaring bike. She climbed on the back and held on to Luca as they raced off down the highway. As they disappeared, she looked back over her shoulder. She could see the thick black smoke in the air, and Replica attack helicopters over the horizon.

  She would have felt even crappier leaving them if it wasn’t for the fact that she had to get to the Potentials now. Finding another high status wasn’t a want. It was an absolute need. She never liked to put all her eggs in one basket. Many options had better odds. But she only had one roll of the dice now, and it had better come up a Red Star.

  14

  SAMANTHA WALKED THROUGH the main entrance of the high school. She was surrounded by teens all heading to homeroom.

  Luca waited in the parking lot behind the wheel of an SUV, on point for any Replica. As soon as they could, they ditched the bike and stole an SUV off an empty car lot.

  As they drove around Acworth and into the school parking lot, she hoped beyond hope that Pete would show up, that the help she heard him calling for was just a figment of her imagination. But there had been no sign of him anywhere.

  As she walked the school’s hallways, the zombified versions of teens moved about mindlessly to class, puppets of Aion. She never got used to it. School was just made up of senseless, repetitive tasks.

  She walked amongst them slowly and methodically, searching for the Potentials and careful not to upset the system. She had a black currier satchel over her right shoulder, strapped across the chest. Even though she was twenty-two years old, she could pull off seventeen easily.

  It was a small school, maybe two hundred kids, tops. Two floors, pre-fab style—not old, but dirty. She passed by classrooms at a quick pace and knew that she would sense it as she got closer to Potentials.

  She stopped walking for moment. She stood in front of a classroom door and then walked in. She felt the humid warmth of the classroom. It was English, quotes of well-known authors all over the walls and books everywhere. The teacher was at the front of the class while a bunch of kids sat horseshoe- shaped around the room.

  She sat next to a girl who had long hair, oversized black-framed glasses, and a dyed streak of red hair. The red streak. Good luck, Samantha thought to herself. She quickly tried to catch eyes with her. The girl’s glasses slipped down her nose and she shoved them back up quickly.

  Samantha glanced out the windows. The morning was gray. It continued to rain, falling harder than earlier. The mist on the playing fields began to move with the wind, spraying sideways over the land. She could feel her breath low in her chest, slowly moving up and down, silently inside of her.

  “Does this class ever get started?” Samantha said to the suspected Potential. She didn’t respond, or even look up when she spoke. The door opened and someone walked in late. She glanced up hoping to see Pete, but her smile faded quickly as a boy with a blank stare aimlessly strolled in and sat down.

  “Here is the packet we are working on, it’s an essay,” the teacher said, his voice dead and monotone. He was an older man who had a sad, empty look in his eyes. “Who are you?” he asked.

  “I’m a new girl, just in town last week,” she replied, smiling politely.

  He didn’t move but continued to look at her. She never broke her blank stare. Aion could dete
ct even slight variations in the system, so she didn’t react. He finally walked away.

  “Hey, I’m Samantha,” she whispered.

  The girl looked at her absently before Samantha went on, “There’s always been something you’ve known about yourself, but just couldn’t put a finger on, isn’t that right? Well, today is your lucky day.”

  She used the same line on all of the Potentials, and if they were really a Potential, it always worked. The response was always the same, and she waited for it.

  The girl’s face scrunched up in confusion, “Who are you?”

  “Five minutes. You have five minutes to finish your essays,” the teacher reported.

  “We don’t have a lot of time, and I have a lot to show you, so we have to move fast. I want you to get your friends to the cafeteria.” Samantha knew that Potentials always flocked together—she’d seen it many times before. Subconsciously and synchronically, it just worked that way. It made sense, and she had seen proof enough in her own life, with her and Luca for starters. They were both together well before they were Actualized. Their latent differences, although unrealized, were strong enough to keep them attracted to each other.

  Samantha met Jackie, the girl with the red streak in her hair, and her friends in the cafeteria. There were four of them in total, which was exactly what the EER had indicated.

  It was still early morning and the cafeteria was empty. Samantha had them sit at a table in the back corner. She got right to it.

  “You are about to see something and feel something, and once that occurs, you are going to awaken to what you have always deeply known about yourself.”

  The four of them sat together on the bench, speechless, before one of the teenage boys spoke up. He had dark skin, and was tall. “What are you going to do?” he asked.

  “Yeah, because we’re defiantly not supposed to be in here,” a girl said. She had short blonde hair and a ton of piercings and tattoos.

  “Your lives are about to change forever,” Samantha replied, “so you can forget about this school.”