Sarah let out an “Eep” and shivered.
Maya giggled. “Guess you gotta wave your butt to buy stuff.”
The joke made Sarah crack a tiny smile, though she remained mostly terrified.
“Lost you for a day or so there,” said Genna. “You had me so scared. Don’ mean that as you did nothin’ wrong.”
“We were underground. A cistern,” said Maya, shaking. “Full of rats!” She thought back to the room of mattresses. “And that place was jamming… The roach bite!”
“Oh!” Sarah looked at Pope. “Does the chip get hot? I think I felt it a couple times.”
“The jammer,” muttered Maya. “That probably made it overheat.”
“Zero made it vibrate in case you knew you had it, trying to send you a message we were coming.”
“I didn’t know I had it.” Sarah sighed. “How’d you get blueberry armor?”
Barnes looked back over his shoulder. “We have some people inside. There’s a lot o’ ex-military in the Authority. Those friendships don’t die.”
“Oh. I thought they were changing. They seemed nicer.” Maya wiped her nose, still running from the stuff Vanessa hit them with. “They were friendly to us. Even gave Sarah clothes.”
Genna squeezed her tight. “Maybe some of ’em are, but a lot still look down on Nons. Can’t say it wasn’t worse before the investigation. The ones inside the Sanc are usually more laid back on account o’ their havin’ better surroundings and more fluff shit to deal with.”
“Like being called on poor people for de-beautifying the park,” muttered Pope.
Sarah spat to the side. “Bitch.”
“That was awesome when you got her!” said Maya, miming raking her hands down the woman’s shirt. “The look on her face was perfect.”
Sarah giggled.
“Ones who always go out to the Hab are the pricks.” Genna kicked a rock, sending it into the window of a decrepit house.
Maya peered over Genna’s shoulder, back at the distant glow of the Dublin Protected District. Vanessa had looked dumbfounded at Maya’s choice. Sure, she’d miss her modern games and the huge TV―the only real loss. Playing Ultimaglide with Sarah had been fun, the most fun she’d ever had in that world, but she’d trade a million sweet video game systems to have her mother back, let alone have a mother at all. And the comfortable apartment was in no way worth the constant worry Sarah would be hurt or killed for a screw up.
Worry followed close behind. Maya watched the shadows in every space between buildings or every missing car door. A pack of cats nesting on the front seat of a rusted-out pickup truck stared at them.
Vanessa had looked surprised when Maya asked Genna not to kill her. The woman didn’t have to know the primary reason for her request―she didn’t want Genna to go to jail for murder. Though a small part of her, perhaps that thirty-seven percent DNA, couldn’t quite summon the desire to see Vanessa Oman shot in front of her, even after she’d basically admitted to killing The Dad, or at the memory of little Ashley who’d almost died to Fade. That girl’s mother had died to it, as had countless others, especially Genna’s son. Lives cut short or ruined forever by greed. And, well, Vanessa had been right about one thing. Maya did have an overdeveloped sense of compassion. She didn’t really want anyone to die.
Killing her is too fast. Her ego wouldn’t last long in jail.
A few hours later, with the late afternoon sun blending into the western horizon, the main part of the Baltimore Sanctuary Zone finally came into view up ahead. The huge white wall glowed in the radiance of a hundred lights, all scanning the ground for vandals, terrorists, or miscreants. Drones glided back and forth in a constant barrage of noise, spotlights, and machine guns.
Maya tensed.
“It’s all right, baby.” Genna hefted her to sit a little higher on her hip. “Authority ain’t gonna give us a problem.”
“Okay.” She eyed the men and women staffing the checkpoint by the gate.
Barnes jogged ahead of the group, hand raised in greeting. He chatted with some of the blueberries for a little while before gesturing for everyone to follow. Genna offered quick nods of acknowledgement to the officers as she hurried by. One of them muttered to Barnes about wishing he could’ve seen the look on Vanessa’s face when Genna’d slugged her. A female officer doubted anyone had the nerve to hit that woman.
Mom almost shot her. Maya rested her head on Genna’s shoulder, hoping the obvious display of affection would help convince the blueberries to let them pass without a problem. Barnes lingered in conversation with the gate staff, jogging to catch up soon after. Pope led the way as they walked into the Sanc. People kept their distance, likely due to the borrowed Authority armor. Feeling safe in her mother’s arms, Maya’s sense of safety increased; she passed out from the aftershock of adrenaline.
Maya awoke when Genna eased her onto the middle seat of an e-van. She yawned and pulled herself in. Sarah climbed up and plopped down beside her. Genna removed the armor chest piece, wincing as the shoulder plate peeled away from the wound she’d suffered at the crash landing. Her white tank top had turned dark red all along the left side to her belt. The peeling scab reopened, sending a rivulet of blood down her arm.
Pope took a first-aid kit out from under the driver’s seat, from which he removed a roll of gauze, some wipes, and tweezers. Genna sat on the running board while he cleaned a few stray splinters, dabbed at the spot with alcohol pads, and bandaged it.
“Shit, that burned,” said Genna in a deadpan voice. “That should hold me ’til Doc can look at it.”
“You’re pretty when you’re bleeding.” Pope grinned.
“Oh, something I should know?” asked Barnes, grinning.
“Shut up and take my armor.” Genna smiled and threw the Authority belt to Barnes, who caught it, laughing. “Jackass.”
Genna removed the leg plates and stuffed the armor piece by piece into a black duffel before unloading the compact rifle and adding it to the bag, which she handed to Barnes.
“Be careful,” said Barnes.
“You know me.” Genna winked.
He held up the duffel as if offering a toast. “That’s why I said be careful.”
She grabbed the bag as he started to walk off, pulling him back a step. “Barnes. Thanks.”
“I like the kid too.” He winked. “See you soon. How long you think it’ll take?”
“Depends on what Zeroice finds.”
Barnes walked away backward. “Right. Let us know.” He spun on his heel and hurried off.
Genna climbed in to sit with the girls while Pope took the driver’s seat.
“Why did the Authority let you carry guns into the Sanc?” Maya leaned against her.
Pope pulled out into traffic, driving in no great hurry.
“Veterans, right?” asked Sarah.
“Well, there’s some inside the Authority who think like you do. That Vanessa oughta be kicked down off that high perch of hers,” said Pope.
Genna closed her eyes, mumbling.
Too tired to want to talk about what her mother may or may not want to do to Vanessa, Maya contented herself to lean against her, thrilled beyond measure to have her back. A minute into the ride, noticing Sarah sat conspicuously apart, she reached over, grabbed a fistful of pink angora sweater, and pulled her close.
Sarah raised a fearful glance up at Genna.
“We heard, baby. I’m sorry.” She grunted, raising her left arm around both girls. “I thought it was safe. Two weeks an’ no sign of anything. What happened to your father’s on me as much as it on the fu―bastards who shot him. We ain’t gonna leave you out on no street.”
Sarah bowed her head against Maya and blubbed “Thank you” before lapsing into a few minutes’ worth of crying. After, she sniffled and wiped her face. “You didn’t know. And Vanessa killed him. She basically said she did, while he was in the hospital.”
Genna’s expression turned somber. Eyes downcast, she spoke in such a quiet tone,
Maya had to strain to hear her over the electric motors. “After we lost the tracking signal, we figured you might try to go to the VA, so we went there. Jack told the desk nurse they were buddies from the war, but they said he’d passed earlier that morning. The doctors seemed bewildered. One told us they thought they’d gotten him stabilized; the cancer had reduced. They expected it to be gone in a month. Somehow, it exploded overnight and got into his brain. By the time they noticed, they couldn’t do anything.”
“Vanessa killed him.” Sarah sniffled. “She did that to him somehow.”
“Sorry.” Maya covered her face with her hands, holding back tears of guilt.
“Don’t cry. It’s not your fault.” Sarah nudged her in the side. “I’m really happy you’re not an orphan anymore.”
Maya lifted her head with a mournful stare. Sarah hadn’t meant to make her guilt heavier, but she had.
“Neither are you.” Genna grimaced as she gave them both a squeeze.
Sarah’s expression couldn’t seem to make up its mind between smiling or crying.
“Careful with your arm.” Maya squirmed around to look at the bandage. A dot of blood marred the surface of the gauze.
“Quick stop.” Pope slowed and pulled over.
Genna opened the sliding door, revealing a sidewalk packed with people in drab clothes, most of them grey ponchos and air-filter masks. One man with a lime green sphere of afro and silver wing-shaped sunglasses waved small tins at passersby trying to sell ‘clean rations’ to the Nons who’d come into the Sanc to work for the day. Beyond the steady shuffle of bodies sat a storefront with mannequins in the windows. On the left, a male figure wore a plain blue-grey shirt and white pants. On the right, a female had a pale green blouse, teal microskirt, and black leggings.
Eager to escape her gaudy dress, Maya scooted across the seat to the edge and jumped to the sidewalk. Sarah climbed out and pulled the door closed as Pope came around the front end. They weaved past the pedestrians to the store, triggering a series of soft electronic chimes when they entered. Clothing on shelves and racks appeared clean, but the air tasted of dust and caramel.
A heavyset elderly woman with an enormous vape inhaler emerged from a curtain at the back. Head stooped, face hidden behind a curtain of whitish-grey hair, she shuffled closer, flanked by a pair of twin teenage girls in identical plum dresses. The girls moved with an eerie similarity that made Maya wonder if they might be androids. Though, aside from anti-kidnap decoys or wartime bombs, she didn’t think any companies manufactured child robots. Since they appeared about fifteen, she figured them for real people, albeit strange.
The old one raised her head, revealing her face. The woman’s right eye appeared three inches wide, ringed with metal. Maya clamped her hands over her mouth to keep from making a rude noise. Tiny blinking green lights around the eye revealed a thick electronic monocle, a cybernetic graft, which whirred to focus.
“Hello,” said the elder. “Can we help you?”
“Hi,” chimed the twins in unison. They smiled the same smile, and leaned the same way to the left while waving.
“I’m May,” said the one on the right.
“June,” said the other.
Pope and Genna exchanged a glance.
The girls approached Maya, circling and studying her dress.
“It’s so pretty,” said May. “Is that a Valisa?”
Maya offered a weak shrug. “I think so.”
“Looks like a Dori Kavan to me,” said the old woman.
June brushed her fingers over Maya’s side, testing the material. “Ooh, I think you’re right, grandma.”
“You’re adorable, but your makeup has run all over.” May grabbed a swatch of scrap fabric from the sales counter and dabbed at Maya’s face.
“Hi.” Genna nodded at the elder. “Need some everyday clothes for the girls. Do you have shoes their size too? Preferably sneakers or boots, something that won’t fall apart.”
“Of course.” The old one gestured at the back left corner of the store. Her monocle whirred again, making that eye shrink. “Do you mind if I ask why you’re bringing a girl with such an expensive garment here to purchase ordinary things?”
“Grandma,” whispered June. “That’s her.”
“Eh?” asked the old one, twisting to peer at May.
May pointed at June.
The old one pivoted. “Eh?”
“The girl from the video,” said June. “That’s Maya. She’s awakened the people.”
“Oh!” The elder clapped. “Forgive my eyesight. This way, please.”
Over the next half hour, the twins helped Maya and Sarah try on a few things. The elder’s monocle evidently allowed her to ‘measure’ customers’ sizes at a momentary glance. She must’ve had another implant with an inventory database, as she recited numbers without delay that guided her granddaughters to various items, which they retrieved from shelves to show.
Genna bought them both dark fatigue-style pants similar to the ones left behind at the penthouse, as well as a pair of jeans apiece. Sarah kept examining dresses, but life out in the Hab didn’t lend itself to such garments. They got sneakers, as well as black rubber/nylon sandals the old one threw in for free since she’d been unable to sell them. At Maya’s suggestion of a nightdress or pajamas, Genna tossed in a couple of mens’ T-shirts. The store had some nighties, but they appeared to be actual silk and one cost more than the rest of the stuff combined. Maya leapt into the black fatigue pants and a dark blue T-shirt, the only one in the entire store she didn’t swim in. May lifted her up to stand on a cube-shaped table, and did a quick hem on the pant legs while June did the same for Sarah.
All told, everything came out to $305. Genna counted out 79 NuCoin and $1.
“Can we trade the dress?” asked Maya, holding up the metallic purple silk.
Genna looked at the old woman. Sarah bundled up her pink angora sweater and white skirt and stuffed them in the bag.
“It’s a lovely piece,” said the elder, “but there’s maybe twenty people in this part of the world who could afford it, and I don’t think they have a daughter the right age. It would never sell. Garments like that are always custom ordered. I really never did understand why anyone would buy such expensive clothes their child would only be able to wear a few times before outgrowing.”
“Okay.” Disappointed, Maya bundled it to keep.
Clutching her bag of clothes, Sarah looked up at Genna and Pope with teary-eyed gratitude.
The old one collected the money and her gargantuan eye winked at Maya. “Keep up the good fight, child. Don’t let them win.”
May and June stood close by, hands folded in front of them. “Fade took away our parents.”
Genna bowed her head.
Maya put an arm around her mother. “I’m going to do everything I can, but I can’t do it alone. It’s people like you who’ll make the Authority remember what they promised to do. I won’t give up.”
“’Mon,” muttered Pope, tugging on Genna. “Need to get that arm looked at.”
The elder nodded, smiling, and took a long pull from her vaporizer, exhaling caramel apple fog. Maya held her breath, wary of winding up addicted to nicotine, and waved farewell. Pope led them out to the van. The girls climbed in back, though Genna sat in the passenger seat this time.
Sarah rubbed her hands up and down her legs, grinning. “These are the exact same style as the ones the dosers stole, only black instead of camo. Thank you! It’s like I got my pants back.”
“You’re welcome,” said Genna, grinning.
“Have the location?” asked Pope.
“Yeah.” Genna pointed left. “Take that corner, go six blocks down, and hang another left.”
“Where are we going?” asked Maya. “Not home?”
Genna leaned around between the front seats and smiled at her. “Soon. We ain’t quite done here yet.”
27
Fading Hope
Maya gazed out the window at shops, pe
ople, steam-shrouded noodle stands, and a slow-drifting Authority drone hanging around the second-story level. A softball-sized orb at the nose end panned back and forth, glint flashing off the lens on the front.
They’re always watching everyone.
She looked down. Even if the Brigade could dethrone Vanessa, the Authority would remain. Someone would eventually fill in the void. Pope mentioned the Eastern Seaboard Commonwealth still had a president or ‘provisional governor,’ and some kind of government. But if so, how did Vanessa get so much power over Baltimore?
It couldn’t all be Xenodril. Ascendant manufactured at least thirty other critical medical products no other company made. That didn’t matter too much, as the war had essentially destroyed international trade. People had access to only things made nearby. Of course, much of their money came from cosmetic drugs.
Ascendant had established its importance in reviving a civilization that didn’t need to pick through rubble to survive. But Xenodril had been their ticket to prestige. In the waning days of the last war, they had developed it―or so they claimed―and gave it away to anyone who needed it. Maya hadn’t been born yet, but the AuthNet archives were full of stories about how the company ‘saved the free world’ from the unknown threat. Fade had affected every nation involved in the Final War. Ascendant had even sent Xenodril to Korea and China, despite all sides believing the disease had originated from the enemy. The company had done nothing to settle rumors of hostile aliens or an asteroid mining accident releasing deadly bacteria from another world.
A scowl warped her reflection in the window. Ascendant invented Fade. They had to. No other company had even been close to trial drugs. They couldn’t have made Xenodril unless they knew exactly how Fade worked. She fumed. Of course, at that point in the war, the number of intact pharma companies could’ve been counted on one hand. Ascendant winning the development race might have been due to their being best funded and best equipped, but it made so much more sense that they were able to invent Xenodril so fast because they’d come up with Fade in the first place. Probably at the request of the government for a weapon.
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