by Charles Case
She screwed up her face. “How am I a terror of the skies?”
“Well, you literally used to work in a place that was above the entire city. You’re fierce and have the respect of supers, even though you were smaller than all of them and didn't have a superpower at the time. That takes the kind of bravery rarely seen in anyone who is still sane. You’re a predator. You’re beautiful. And, you can take out prey twice your size without them seeing you coming.”
Seena considered for a long moment before a smile spread across her face. “I like it.” She stretched back out and laid on his chest, intertwining her leg with his.
“How’s the hip?” Corbin asked, using his fingers to push her slightly away from him to check on the wound.
She leaned back at his touch and they both looked at the place where Gert’s metal body had been working for the better part of a day. The skin was whole, but still pink and new.
“Gert says she’s done. She was resting before starting on Seena's transformation.”
“Oh. I hadn’t even noticed that the pain was gone. To tell the truth, I hadn’t felt anything uncomfortable since our shower.” She smiled up at Corbin, and gave him a thumbs up.
Corbin laughed. “Glad to help.”
Seena's eyes went wide and her hand went to her chest as she quickly got to her knees. “What the hell?”
Corbin sat up in alarm. “Are you okay? What’s happening?”
“I don't know.” Seena was on the edge of panic. “We were talking, and suddenly my chest started itching like crazy.”
Corbin watched with wide eyes as a circle of metal rose just below the hollow of Seena’s throat. He saw her starting to spiral as she scratched the area with her nails, leaving red lines of irritated skin. Corbin reached out and took her hands, stopping her before she injured herself.
“Calm down. Everything is fine. It looks like Gert is finally giving you a tattoo,” Corbin reassured her.
She pulled on his hands, wanting to scratch, but he held her firm. Corbin remembered how much it itched when Leela had done the same to him, but this seemed more intense than that by a mile.
“Is Gert being more aggressive than you were, or am I just not remembering it right?” Corbin's concern colored his words and made Seena’s eyes widen even further.
“When I did this to you, I took several hours so it would not be this uncomfortable. Plus, I was still getting to know my abilities. Gert, on the other hand, seems to want to get it over with. She’s probably tired after healing Seena all day.”
“You don't know? Why can't you just ask her?” Seena barked, gritting her teeth as she tried to ride out the discomfort.
“She’s not answering me. I would assume it’s taking all of her concentration to get this right. Don't worry, Seena. She’s almost done.”
Leela’s words proved true a second later when Seena visibly relaxed, and the silver metal sank back into her skin. The tattoo that was left behind was dark black and of immaculate quality. Like Corbin’s, there was a circle that went from the hollow of her throat to just between the tops of her breasts. Unlike his, instead of a two-tailed fox there was a stylized falcon sitting with its head turned to the side to show off the profile of the sharp beak.
Corbin let go of Seena's hands and she immediately rubbed the spot with her fingertips. “Oh, god. That feels so good. I have never itched that bad in my life.”
Smiling, he stood and offered her his hand. “Come on. Take a look.”
He pulled her up, and she stepped to the small sink with a mirror over it. She lightly touched the nape of her neck as she inspected the tattoo.
“I knew it.” She smirked.
“Knew what?”
Her smirk turned into a full-blown smile. “I look badass with a tattoo.”
9
In the morning, Corbin fired up the small stove and fried up some reconstituted bacon and eggs. Usually, the eggs had a flat, bland flavor, but Corbin had made them often enough that he knew just what spices to add to bring them back to life. It turns out that tarragon and eggs are a killer combination, even if the eggs have been in powder form for most of their existence.
The bacon was something else entirely. Corbin never could figure out how they made a shelf-stable meat product that tasted pretty close to the real thing, but he was glad they did. Though, to be fair, everyone who ate it could tell the very slight difference and called it “facon” just so they didn't disappoint any guests they might have.
The smells filled the small cabin of the OVAL, making the air filter work overtime. Seena came out of her deep sleep, stretching her whole body like a cat and squealing with delight.
“That smells amazing. Is there any coffee on this thing?”
Corbin watched her stretch, appreciating the view of her taut body before flipping the facon. “Unfortunately, it’s instant, but I will attest that it at least tastes awful.”
“Why would you attest to that?” Seena furrowed her eyebrows.
“Because I didn't want you to be so surprised that you spit it out. It’s really awful.” He laughed.
Seena rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hand. “It doesn't matter if it tastes like burnt tires. I need a cup, stat. Gert had me running through exercises all night in a vision. I have to say it is very weird to workout all night and then wake up refreshed. Sort of. My body is fine, but my mind is exhausted.”
She held out a hand to Corbin, and he helped her to her feet. Wrapping the sheet around her like a towel, she went to the small sink to brush her teeth.
Corbin plated their breakfasts and set them on the small two-person table. He filled two mugs with hot water and scooped two heaping spoonfuls of instant coffee into them. By the time he set them on the table along with the plates, Seena was wiping the toothpaste from her mouth.
She slid into the built-in chair and held the coffee up to her nose. “Oh, I needed that. Just the smell is doing wonders for my brain.” She then sipped and grimaced. “You weren’t kidding. That is awful.” She sipped again before setting it down.
Corbin laughed and dug into the eggs. “Has Gert shown you how to meditate? That was the key for me. You need to,” he cocked his head, looking for the right word, “stretch your well before you can add more to it.”
“She hasn't shown me any meditation yet. It’s all been combat training, but she is pushing me to use the power I do have to augment my body, and that’s stretching my well. She says we should be able to absorb our first power in a day or two.”
They ate in silence for a little, each glancing out the window at the morning light filtering down into the clearing outside. Corbin was lost in thought, trying to figure out exactly what their next move should be. So far, all they had done was piss off William Lieu and run off into the wilds to lick their wounds. They needed a plan, and unfortunately, Mara and the rebels were focusing on the class war that was raging.
“We need to change the rebels’ focus,” Corbin mused, putting the plates and mugs in the san unit.
“I was thinking the same thing. Gert keeps reiterating how dangerous the coming invasion is.”
Corbin sat back down, running his hand through his hair. “We need the rebels, though. Right now, no one would believe us that there is an invasion force stuck on a time-dilated planet circling Nhi. At best, we would be laughed at, and at worst, we would lose the support we have.”
Seena bit her lip in her classic thinking-something-over look. “What do you think this system will look like when this is all over?”
“Assuming the system survives?” Corbin smiled at his dark joke. “I would hope that we could come together, supers and normies, and actually make something of this place. Corruption is so prevalent in the supers that I’m having difficulty see the world without it.”
They were quiet for a while before Corbin spoke again. “I want to be able to have a child who can grow up in a place where he can feel free.”
Seena frowned. “We’re free now, technically. What do you m
ean?”
“I remember when I first started on the surveyors’ team.” Corbin settled in and stared out of the window as he continued, “I was fresh out of the military, where supers are kept in line through the chain of command, and even then there were incidences. But out here in the wilds, you start to forget that there is such a harsh division between supers and everyone else. That first year, I spent all but one weekend a month out here. I was free to do as I pleased as long as I got my work done. It was glorious. The problem was that I forgot about how bad it was back in the city for normies.
“I came back for a weekend and headed to Bleary’s for a drink. It was a normal night, and I was in pretty high spirits until I came around a corner and ran into a super. She had been carrying a bag and dropped it when I bumped her. I was about to pick it up for her when she reached up and grabbed me by the throat and slammed me to the ground.”
Seena gasped at the turn in the story. “She attacked you?”
Corbin gave her a sad smile. “Physical assault isn’t all that uncommon on the streets of Settlement One. At least, not for a normie.”
Pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging her legs, Seena looked embarrassed and angry all at once. “That’s awful. I had no idea it was that bad.”
“Yeah. As you can imagine, it really put a damper on my day. The entire time I was held down and yelled at by a vindictive woman half my size, all I could think was that I hoped my children didn't have to know this kind of humiliation. I think that was the moment my hatred for supers truly ignited.”
Seena pulled her knees closer and frowned. “I get wanting to be free. I know our lives were very different growing up, but there was a different kind of chain around my neck.”
“Your father?” Corbin asked, a half frown on his face.
She puffed some breath from her nose in amusement. “That would be too easy. No, I’m talking about having your entire life planned out in advance.
“When I was a kid, I went to school with all the others, supers and normies alike. Back then, the settlement was still pretty new and they taught all the kids together, unlike now with all the private tutors and schools.
“I remember one year there was some toy that had come out that was really popular. Everyone wanted it, but they hadn’t made enough of them for the demand. Well, of course, I got the toy the next day. It just showed up in my room. I hadn’t even told anyone I wanted it, but because of who my family is, they sent one out of obligation. I remember thinking, even at that young age, that it wasn't fair that I got it and so many of my schoolmates didn't. It was the first time I ever had to deal with the idea that whatever I wanted would be given to me, even if I didn't ask.”
She gave Corbin an embarrassed smile. “I know this doesn't sound all that bad, but trust me, it was a pivotal point in my life. I realized that if I wasn't careful I wouldn't have to work for anything in my life. I saw how this was changing my friends with rich and powerful parents. They were brats at best, and monsters at worst. I could remember us all, as recently as the year before, playing together and not caring about status. But, here we were in grade school, starting to form social cliques based on what we had and didn't have. It made me sick.
“I want a world where everyone has the chance to make something of themselves regardless of who their parents are. I want to see a society where hard work can move a person up, and not have a ceiling on that progress.”
Corbin nodded slowly, taking in her words, then a smile split his face. “So, it is about your father.”
Seena barked a laugh and reached across the table to slap him on the arm. “You’re such a jerk.”
They both laughed at that, and Corbin reached out a hand. “Come on. Let’s get dressed and I’ll show you some of the breathing techniques I’ve learned. They’re good for controlling your flow, even in battle. Plus, it will give us something to do until we get word from Mara.”
Corbin watched Seena's chest rise and fall in the complicated series of breathing techniques. Her eyes were closed and legs folded as they sat in the clearing, shaded by the tall coniferous trees that surrounded them. The sound of a stream not far off, along with the calls of various bird analogs, put Corbin’s mind at ease.
Seena had taken to the breathing exercises quickly, noting that she had spent many years doing yoga and other forms of meditation. Corbin had joined her for the first hour, but stopped when he felt his well draining below half-full. He wanted to keep a little in the tank, just in case.
He stood, making as little noise as possible so as not to disturb Seena, and climbed into the OVAL to get them each a bottle of water. Bending to reach into the back of the small refrigerator, he pulled out two of the reusable bottles and turned for the door.
His tablet rang, so he stopped to check who was calling. Mara’s name appeared and he quickly answered on audio-only.
“Mara. It’s good to finally hear from you.” With those words, Corbin realized that he was starting to feel the inactivity.
“I assume everything is going all right? Lawrence let us know about the Lieu troopers. I’m glad to hear you two made it out alive.” Her motherly tone was at the same time comforting and irritating.
“It will take a little more than a few troopers in power armor to take us out. No need to worry yourself. Tell me you have a plan. Seena and I feel like we’re being wasted out here.”
Mara chuckled. “Oh, Corbin, you’ll soon learn that half a rebellion is waiting for the right opportunity. I’ve been waiting ten years to get where we are today. And don't worry, things will be moving plenty fast soon enough.”
Corbin opened the OVAL’s door and made his way to Seena. At his approach, she came out of her meditation and blinked up at him. “Who’s that?” she mouthed.
“Mara, Seena’s here too.” He wanted to be sure they both knew the other was on. “What makes you say that things will be speeding up? Did something happen?”
Corbin heard the hesitation in Mara’s voice as she answered. “We’ve had a visitor. I think you need to meet with her.”
“A visitor? From the Corp?” Seena asked, standing and wiping the debris from her pants.
“Not the Corp. She’s a representative from somewhere called the Citadel. And, before you ask, I don't know exactly what the Citadel is either, but she is powerful and she wants to help. I’m calling to let you know that she wants to go out and meet you. Somehow, you and Seena are on her radar.”
Corbin frowned and glanced at Seena. She shrugged, and that really said it all. They were at a standstill. Worst case scenario, they could fight off this representative and go back into hiding. They came to a silent agreement.
“Okay, I’ll send our coordinates. How long until she can get here?”
Mara’s smile came through in her voice. “I would be willing to bet that it will be sooner than you think. This woman is mysterious, to put it mildly. But, I truly believe she is trying to help.”
“Okay. We’ll be here. Anything else happening that we should know about?”
“Not much. William Lieu has disappeared from public view, but after the fight you two had, I would imagine that has as much to do with his pride as anything else. However, Lawrence and Ren have uncovered a few files that point to him undergoing some sort of surgery in the labs. I don't know if it has to do with his healing, or if he is trying to augment his powers.”
Seena sighed. “Probably both. His pride won’t let him stay down for long.”
“I agree. He was beyond obsessed with gaining power during our fight,” Corbin confirmed.
“William Lieu’s power obsession is well documented.” Mara agreed. “We will have Ren keep an eye on any progress in that department. Speaking of progress, Lawrence finally has some official documentation about the laws they are trying to push through on Vale. Now, we need someone who can use them to block any legislation that comes along. I have people working on finding legitimate politicians who can use the information.
“In other news,
we received word of a mining town on Rush losing communication with the network. We have an agent close by and he’s checking it out. I don't think it’s anything to worry about, but there might be evidence of a super getting out of hand and attacking the workers. I don't have high hopes, but it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened.”
Corbin and Seena said their goodbyes and ended the call.
Corbin raised his eyebrows at Seena. “Well, do you want to do a little more meditation, or are you ready for some lunch?”
“Lunch, I think. My mind is stretched a little too thin right now.”
“How about FLT’s?”
“FLT’s? What’s that?” Seena asked, trying to work out the acronym.
“Facon, lettuce, and tomato.”
Seena frowned. “We have lettuce and tomato?”
Corbin shook his head. “No, but we have bread substitute and mayo. Trust me, it’s better than it sounds.”
She rolled her eyes. “It better be.”
10
“Someone is coming.” Leela broke into Corbin's meditation, making him come out of it blinking and slightly disoriented.
He looked over at Seena sitting cross-legged next to him, blinking wide eyes as well. Gert must have given her the same warning. Without a word, the two got to their feet in the small cabin and Corbin opened the door. The early afternoon light filled the clearing with a cheery warm glow that would have been harsh and blinding out on the open plains, but was welcome up here in the mountains.
Corbin stepped out of the OVAL, breathed in a lungful of mountain air, and scanned the area. He didn't see anyone in the clearing yet, so he turned to a storage panel at the back of the large vehicle. He popped the latch and let the hydraulic pistons lift the door out of the way before pulling out a folding table and three chairs.