Ascendant Unrest

by Matthew S. Cox

  “It looks dangerous,” whispered Maya.

  Genna walked up behind her and grasped her shoulders. “It is, baby. But it beats gettin’ caught by the Authority. Don’t let me find out you bring friends down here. It ain’t for that.”

  “I understand. I don’t even want to go down that tunnel. It looks like it’s going to cave in. Pick would just run off down there and get hurt.”

  “All right. Come on. Let’s get on outta this dampness.”

  “Don’t go?” Maya turned around and stared into Genna’s eyes. “Please….”

  Guilt radiated from the woman’s face, but she sighed. “Baby, it’s something I gotta do. We’re still movin’ that Xeno you helped us get to people who need it. Ain’t dangerous for me. Worst thing’ll happen is a couple of wildland scavvers mistake us for an easy target, but they ain’t interested in a real fight.”

  Maya looked down, lip quivering. “I’m afraid something bad is going to happen.”

  “It’ll only be a couple of days. I’ll be back before you know it.” She winked. “’Sides, I need ta earn my pay, an’ those people need Xeno. I ain’t gonna let more people die to that witch.”

  “What about your veteran pension?” Maya squeezed her tighter. Face buried in Genna’s shirt, she scowled, embarrassed at herself for the sudden bout of childish clinginess.

  “Aww, that’s barely enough ta survive. Maybe if it was just me, but you seen Sarah. Poor girl’s wearin’ rags.”

  Maya frowned. “That’s not the pension. It’s because her father is spending most of his money on beer. He says Foz is too expensive, but he won’t go into the Sanc to better stores.”

  “I need to have a talk with that man. If I ’member right, we weren’t too far off in rank. Pension of his oughta plenty be enough.”

  “Can I go with you? I promise I’ll stay in the truck and keep my head down. If Vanessa did want to hurt me, wouldn’t it be a better idea for me to be further away?”

  Genna picked her up and carried her back to the ladder. “I don’t want to take the chance that some wildlander gets a hair up his ass, shoots at the truck, and that bullet finds you.” Her embrace tightened, forcing most of the air out of Maya’s chest.

  “Ngh.” She squirmed. “Mom… can’t… breathe.”

  When Genna relaxed her grip and looked her in the eye, tears had wet her cheeks. “I ain’t gonna lose another one, you hear me, baby? If word got out we’re carryin’ Xeno, we might get hit. I don’t want you anywhere near that kind of violence. What sort of momma would I be if I brought you into danger? No, baby. Yo’ ass is stayin’ right here in this building.”

  Maya crumbled under the weight of the emotion radiating from her and started crying. “But I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Shh.” Genna patted her back and rubbed her hair. “I gotta know your safe here. Need ta keep my head on what’s around us out there, not on if somethin’s gonna happen to you.”

  Wiping her eyes, Maya mumbled, “Okay,” in a semi-whine of resignation.

  Sitting around waiting for her mother to come back felt all too much like her old life. A couple deep breaths helped get her fear in check. She sniffled. Mom wasn’t running off to a boardroom meeting or a fancy vacation in Paris; she needed to bring medicine to people Vanessa sentenced to death for the crime of being poor. Not that Ascendant wanted to kill them―much better to give Fade to people who could afford the cure. But not caring about the casualties almost seemed worse than deliberate killing. Her mother had to take this trip because people’s lives depended on the Brigade.

  Genna boosted her onto the ladder. “Stop at the second door. It’s the only one we can open from this side. First one goes to the basement, and it don’t open at all.”

  “How long are you going to be gone?” Maya climbed easy and fast, her eyes having adjusted to the dim light.

  “Two days up, two days back. Shouldn’t be too long in Philly. All we doin’ is droppin’ off boxes. Nothin’ the Authority would even care about. Far as I know, we won’t even be goin’ inta the Sanc there, so ain’t no worries ’bout a checkpoint.”

  Maya passed the basement door, holding her breath to stop tasting old furnace oil. At the second opening, extra hinges gave away the Brigade’s modification. It took her only seconds to find the release catch, and she pulled the door open. She poked her head out into an empty hall, opposite the main stairway no one ever used due to the spoiled milk stink. After making sure no one could see her, she extended her right leg and made the leap from ladder to floor.

  “Guess I don’t need to explain the latch.” Genna stepped out behind her and pulled the fake broken elevator door closed. “There’s also a peep hole, but you’re not tall enough. Usually, we listen for a bit to make sure no one’s out there.”

  Maya looked left and right down the hall. “No one lives on the first floor, and I didn’t hear anything.”

  “All right, baby. But it’s better to take the extra minute to be safe.”

  She fought the quiver starting in her lip again, and looked down. “You’re gonna leave now, aren’t you?”

  “Leave makes it sound like I ain’t comin’ back.” Genna took her hand. “After Sam died, I gave up on carin’ if I made it back from whatever the Brigade sent me to do. Gave up is what I did. Told myself I’d never be in that position again….”

  Maya looked up. “When you first took me to that place, you kept standing by that big hole in the wall. I thought you were going to jump.”

  “You oughta hate me for what I did to you. At least be ’fraid of me.”

  “I’m not.” Maya shrugged. “Does that mean I’m messed up in the head?”

  Genna chuckled. “We all messed up in the head in this world. I tried to be so damn hard the world couldn’t hurt me again, but you got under my armor. I saw the real face of evil on that woman when she said what she said. You gave me a reason to be again. Ain’t nothin’ gonna keep me away.”

  “Mom!” Maya pounced into a hug.

  “After that witch, guess I ought not be surprised you think I’m a nice sort o’ person.”

  “You are.” Maya kept clinging, frowning off down the hall. “Vanessa’s not even a person.”

  “I ain’t got no excuse for how I treated you that night ’cept I hated Ascendant so much I forgot to be human.” Genna shook her head with a guilty sigh. “You saved my life too, and I didn’t deserve it. Brought me back from that cold, dark place I’d gone. You right. Sam woulda been pissed at me.”

  “I wasn’t really scared until Vanessa told you to kill me and meant it.” Maya tapped the toe of her right sneaker into the rotten carpet. “I was brave ’til then because I thought the Authority would find me.” Her voice dropped to an almost-whisper. “They weren’t even looking.”

  Genna’s lip quivered and she wiped her eyes.

  “You didn’t kidnap me from my home.” Maya held her head high. “You exfiltrated me from a secure installation and brought me home.” She smiled. “How sick is that? Being tied up and stuffed in a bag is like a… good memory for me.”

  “Damn, baby. I’m so sorry.” Genna took a knee and stared into her eyes. “None of this is right.”

  “Stop apologizing. I’m happy here with you. That’s why I’m upset you’re going to go risk your life.”

  Genna stood, took Maya’s hand, and walked toward the fire stairs to avoid the stink. “Sayin’ sorry for the kinda life you had before. No momma oughta treat their kid like that.”

  “Are you going to teach me how to shoot a gun?”

  “I dunno.” Genna examined the ceiling. “I’m hopin’ by the time you’re old ’nuff fer me ta let you touch one, you won’t need to.”

  “Vanessa’s got expensive lawyers and lots of money.” Maya frowned. “I’ll be old like you before she’s gone.”

  Genna leaned her head back and laughed. “Old? Who you callin’ old? I ain’t even thirty yet.”

  “Twenty-nine?” asked Maya.

  “Eight
,” said Genna with a hint of haughtiness.

  Maya grinned. “To me, that’s old.”

  Genna chuckled the rest of the way up to the seventh floor, and Sarah’s apartment. The redhead answered the knock once again wearing her toga-dress-curtain thing.

  “Hi,” said Sarah. “Uhh, I went into your place to get my dress back. Hope it’s okay.”

  “Hey.” Maya waved.

  “Of course, sweetie. Your dad here?” asked Genna.

  Sarah smirked and muttered, “Where else would he be?” She took a step back, pulling the door open wide. “Yeah. ’Mon in.”

  The Dad occupied his favorite spot on the well-worn couch, attention glued to the battered flat-panel TV mounted on the wall. Frazzled ginger hair gave him an electrocuted look, and traces of grey showed generously in his short beard. He raised his metal right arm, a spindly prosthetic in no way intended for combat duty. The three-fingered gripper at the end whirred as he waved.

  “Gen…” He coughed a couple times and pushed himself upright. “Rollin’ out?”

  “Billy.” Genna nodded once. “Yeah. Gotta pull an escort detail. Basic milk run. Should be back in four days ideal, six days long. Makin’ sure you’re still up to keep an eye on the little one ’til I’m back.”

  The Dad wiped his nose with his living hand. “Roger that. Got plenty of rations. Not a problem. Where ya goin’?”

  “Op-sec, Billy, you know I can’t share that.” Genna winked.

  Sarah stood at Maya’s left, wide-eyed staring at her father, her mouth open.

  “Right.” He chuckled. “Sorry. Shouldn’t have asked. Sergeant Brennan’d tear me a new one if he heard me ask. Hope they at least got a bird or two watchin’ after ya. Them NoKos are some sneaky sumbitches.”

  “Not sure.” Genna shrugged. “Low priority mover, so I doubt EUCOM is gonna divert anything our way. Intel says there ain’t NoKos within a thousand miles of here.”

  Maya glanced back and forth between the adults, feeling confused for a second before Sarah’s downtrodden expression demanded her attention. “What?” she whispered.

  “Yeah, fubar like usual. Them EUCOM bastards don’t care every time they pinch pennies, people fuckin’ die.” The Dad grumbled. “You get back here in one piece, got that?”

  “Sure thing, Hawthorne.”

  The Dad fell back into his seat as Genna turned to face Maya. “Okay, baby. Time for me to get this done. You be good, right?”

  “Yes, Mom.” Maya shivered. “Please be careful.”

  “I will, baby. I will. It’s―”

  Maya put a hand over Genna’s mouth. “Stop saying it’s easy. Don’t jinx yourself.”

  “All right.” Genna laughed. She picked Maya up into a long hug, set her back on her feet, and trudged out of the apartment.

  Sarah fast-walked down the hall to her room.

  Head tilted in confusion, Maya followed. She crept in the door to find Sarah sitting on the edge of the bed, weeping into her hands.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Sarah looked up. “My dad still thinks he’s in the Army. They were talking like they’re in France or Germany or wherever. He sounded so… normal. Like he hadn’t even had any beer.”

  “He misses it,” said Maya in a soft tone. “He loved being in the military.”

  “Yeah.”

  The Dad shouted random half-pronounced insults at the television, as if he couldn’t make up his mind what to call someone before bellowing, “You’re a bloody bum who cannae outrun a shite floatin’ in a pool wit’ a rocket up yer ass!”

  Sarah blushed. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Ascendant people have said worse things around me.” She shrugged.

  “I wish he’d talk more to me like he did with Genna. Mostly I get grunts, smiles; sometimes he points.” Sarah sat on the edge of her bed, teetering on the verge of another explosion of tears.

  “He loves you.” Maya sat next to her and put an arm around her back. “He’s got mental health issues. When Mom started talking military stuff, it probably triggered some kind of flashback to a part of his head that’s still back in time. It’s not because he doesn’t like you. He can’t help it.”

  Sarah leaned her head against Maya’s and wiped at her eyes. “Thanks. Yeah, I guess that’s possible. So, what do you want to do?”

  The Dad wailed in anguish as if he’d watched a friend die. “Damn idiot! How could ya miss that catch? Stop grabbin’ yer balls and grab the one flyin’ at yer head!”

  “I dunno.” Maya tapped her sneakers together, feeling guilty that none of the other kids in the building had any. She thought back to living in the penthouse apartment; she never used to wear shoes inside―mostly since her choice of footwear varied only in the height of the heels. She loved her sneakers and felt bad for doing so. “I asked Genna if she would get you some shoes.”

  The Dad blurted a series of unintelligible insults at the TV.

  Sarah gasped. “That’s too much money. I’d be afraid to even wear them. Someone will steal them. Please don’t waste her money on me. I don’t wanna get jumped. The last time we got robbed, they had a gun―we got lucky.”

  “How is that lucky? They left all of you naked in the street.” Maya blinked.

  “If they didn’t have a gun, they woulda tried to sneak up and hit me in the head with a rock or something. Then I might’ve been dead too.” She picked at her curtain-dress. “If I look like I got nothin’ worth taking, I’m safer. Not even Foz would buy this.”

  Maya scowled at the floor. “We need to change things. The Authority should protect people from thieves.”

  “We’re Nons. They don’t care about us.” Sarah scratched idly at her arm.

  “You’re a Citizen.” Maya poked her in the side. “Your dad’s a veteran. I was a Citizen, but the bitch revoked it. I don’t care.”

  Sarah shook her head. “We live in the Hab. We don’t matter. Citizens live in the Sanc. Not like I have a stamp on my forehead that says ‘Citizen.’ Maybe I’ll go somewhere else when I grow up. Like the wildlands.”

  “What?” Maya gawked. “Are you serious?”

  “It’s not as bad as they tell everyone. It’s kinda like camping. No Authority, no one to bother you. Some people live in small groups out in nature, farming and stuff.” She grasped the mattress on either side of her knees, leaning forward, smiling at the ceiling. “Imagine the sun comin’ down through the trees, the wind in your hair, not worrying about anyone hurting you.”

  “Sounds too good to be true. The AuthNet says the settlements out there always fight with each other like medieval days. Some even take slaves. They don’t have electricity either. It’s really primitive and filthy.”

  Sarah stopped scooting her feet back and forth on the rug and stared at her. “The Authority just says that to keep everyone scared and in the city. If people knew the truth, they’d all leave.”

  “People like comforts. Maybe the Nons would be happier out there, and the Citizens wouldn’t have anyone left to do the crappy jobs.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Could be some truth, too. I don’t really think it’s safe anywhere.” Maya fidgeted at her shirt.

  Rapid, soft pounding on the door preceded Pick, Anton, and Marcus shouting, “Faerie!” at the same time. Sarah suppressed an eye roll. Only The Dad and Maya bothered to call her by her real name.

  Maya twisted toward the door. “I think they want us to play.”

  “Okay.” Sarah stood. “If you wanna.”

  “’Kay.” Maya pushed herself to her feet and followed Sarah out to the living room.

  The redhead leaned over to whisper at her father’s ear. He gave her a hug with his non-metal arm, kissing her atop the head, and smiled.

  “Stay alert, luv. Donnae go too far.”

  Maya glanced at the TV displaying the glimmering, flashing spectacle of a football game, happening somewhere in another Sanctuary Zone along the east coast. Players wandered about with no urgency, collecting into some
manner of formation. The camera zoomed in on a huge man, about Moth’s size but without metal arms. He grinned, pointed at something far off, and threw the ball to a man in white-and-black stripes. She’d heard the suits around boardrooms complain about how only a handful of teams existed now, unlike before the war. They always argued over Ascendant sponsoring the Baltimore team. The voice of Walter Michaelson, a senior VP of marketing, floated by in her thoughts: Football’s good. Gotta keep the commoners occupied.

  “’Kay, Dad,” said Sarah. “You need anything ’fore I go out?”

  He mumbled and waved his metal arm toward the kitchen. Sarah nodded and jogged to the fridge as the front door opened, revealing the twins, Anton and Marcus, with little Pick beside them. The six-year-old’s orb of dark brown hair looked wilder than ever, as if he’d stuck his finger in a power outlet. Pick’s olive-drab pants ended in tatters halfway down his thighs, and, like most days, he didn’t bother with a shirt. Handprints marked his chest where he’d tried (and failed) to wipe some dark substance away. The twins had almost-matching striped white/blue shirts and beige shorts, clothes they got for their tenth birthday a few weeks ago. Their hair had started to puff up into afros, so odds were high that Book would soon trim it.

  The whump of the refrigerator door closing came from the kitchen a few seconds before Sarah returned, pulling a beer open on her way across the room to hand it to her father. She started for the door but hesitated when Maya didn’t move.

  Worry about Genna kept Maya’s mood dark; she didn’t really feel like going out to play with the other kids. Half of her wanted to go sit alone somewhere, but she didn’t want to hurt Sarah’s feelings, and having her to talk to did make the dread easier to deal with. The boys scampered off, all cheering or yelling, “Come on!”

  Sarah stared at her, legs frozen in mid-stride about halfway to the door. Maya caved after a long, pointed look. More for Sarah’s benefit, she let the girl take her hand and went with her out the door.