Darci snickered.
Henry Rogers smiled, no doubt having heard that joke for most of his adult life. “Yes.”
“I’m Harper Cody, with the militia? They asked me to bring these to you.” She handed over the pills.
“Oh, wonderful.” He took the bottle, smiling broadly. “Cutting that a bit close.” He patted himself on the side. “Damn kidney’s going to go into full rebellion if I run out of these.”
Harper grimaced.
“Aww… I know.” He sighed. “Gonna happen sooner than I’d prefer. I’m well aware that no one’s making this stuff anymore. If I can last another year or two, that’ll be something.”
“Sorry.” Darci’s smile faded. “I didn’t know you were that sick.”
“It’s not that I’m sick… had a kidney transplant a while back. Probably before you two were born. Gotta keep taking these pills or my body’s going to reject it. I’m already on borrowed time as it is.” He rattled the pill bottle. “This is what a few more minutes looks like if it turned into a physical object.”
“You’re going to die in minutes?” Darci blinked.
That time, she didn’t sound like she joked.
“Nah, this might see me through about four months. Could roll the dice and under-dose to make them last longer, but that could bite me in the ass.” He shrugged. “Not sure if that’s worse than running out all at once. I need to get my hide up north and see that doctor, but it’s a heck of a walk for a man my age.”
“You’re not that old.” Harper smiled.
“Now what was that about Thin Mints? Do you actually have cookies or are you teasing an old man?”
“Sorry. Only kidding.” Darci winced. “They just told us you needed pills, not that you were like seriously sick.”
“It’s all right. We’re all gonna die sooner or later. No point losing sleep over the timing of it.” Henry held the bottle up. “Thank ya for bringing these all the way down here. Tell that doctor I’ll see about going up there sooner or later.”
“Okay.”
A woman inside the house asked, “Who’s at the door?”
Henry waved at them and went back inside, muttering something about the town arming Girl Scouts for defense.
Harper chuckled, despite feeling guilty as hell.
“That sucks that he’s gonna die ’cause there’s no medicine left,” said Darci.
“Yeah.”
Darci exhaled. “We’re screwed, aren’t we?”
“Depends. I mean, no one did kidney transplants back in the 1800s, right? Humanity survived past that part. A lot of people who used to die for medical stuff are going to die again. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to go extinct.”
“I want to find a guitar.”
Harper blinked. “Random much?”
“Miss playing. And the world needs music since all the stereos and stuff are broken.”
They turned to walk back to their bikes, but stopped short at the sight of a small crowd. Eight men and three women had gathered behind them, blocking them from leaving. Fortunately, none of them appeared hostile, more insistent.
“Umm… can I help you?” asked Harper.
“You militia?” asked a thirtysomething Chinese guy in a flannel shirt.
“Gotta be, Sam.” An Indian man next to him pointed at her. “She’s got a rifle.”
“That don’t mean nothin’, Sanjay.” An annoyed fortyish woman who appeared to have rapidly lost weight from somewhat heavy to quite thin rested a hand on the pistol at her hip. “Could be an outsider. Ain’t like them militia nitwits have a uniform.”
Sam grasped the woman’s shoulder. “Easy, Penny… no need to pull a gun on a kid.”
The woman swatted his hand away. “You’re gonna end up dead, Yang. You wanna trust everyone.”
“Can everyone please calm down?” Harper held her hands up in a placating manner. “Yes, I am with the militia. Just delivering some medicine to Henry.”
Penny gestured angrily to the side. “When y’all going to get the power back on down here. Hear you people got it going up north. South Evergreen counts, too.”
Others in the group murmured agreement, growing restless. A few made comments that the people up north considered them unimportant.
“I would very much like power to be here,” said Sanjay. “It is most difficult to read in the dark.”
“I’m sorry. Totally understand what you mean.” Harper pulled her hair out of her eyes. “The militia isn’t making decisions about who gets power or doesn’t. That’s between Mayor Ned, Anne-Marie, and Jeanette. We’re just trying to keep everyone alive and safe. Even the power up north isn’t exactly working well. Lately, it’s been off more than on. I know there’s been a few fires with the panels. They really don’t tell me much since my job’s mostly protecting the area around the school and making sure no one hurts the kids. Happy to talk to Ned or Anne and let them know how you feel. You can also take your concerns to Janice at the sheriff’s station.”
The discontent among the citizens eased off somewhat as they appeared to take in her age.
“Why they hoggin’ all the solar panels up north?” asked a scarecrow-thin man in overalls.
Since the crowd no longer radiated a sense of imminent violence, Harper relaxed enough to think. “It doesn’t really matter where the panels are. They can fix the wires running down here to supply power once they work out the problems. It’s easier to maintain if all the generation stuff is in the same place. But… like I said, the electricity has been down more often than it’s been on. Pretty sure they’re trying to build windmills instead of solar panels anyway, since those are less complicated. Solar panels don’t last forever and we can’t make new ones.”
The crowd murmured amongst themselves.
“They’re trying, but I dunno what’s going to happen,” said Harper. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we’re back to candles before I’m forty. If I even live that long.”
A somber silence fell over the group. Penny, who still appeared personally angry at Harper as if their lack of electrical power had been her fault, finally looked at her with pity rather than resentment.
“C’mon, she’s just a kid,” muttered a guy in the back. “She wouldn’t know nothin’ about why they do a damn thing.”
Sam Yang set his hands on his hips and sighed at the ground. “Sorry. We’re frustrated being stuck living medieval.”
“It’s not just you. We’re cooking on wood fires all the time, too. It’s like every six hours some new fuse somewhere explodes or a stray dog pees on the machinery and starts a fire in the panel farm.” Harper smile-shrugged in a ‘what can ya do?’ way. “They’re working on it.”
The people nodded and dispersed, still grumbling. She stood there watching them trudge back across the street to the garden, unsure if she should be relieved or feel defeated.
“What’s wrong?” asked Darci. “I think you handled them pretty well.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, they didn’t beat the hell out of us.”
Harper chuckled. “Kinda looked like that was coming, didn’t it?”
“It did. Nice with that ‘I dunno if I’m gonna live to see forty’ line.”
“Not a line. I’m really worried I won’t make it. Either for getting shot or who knows how much radiation I was exposed to? Might run out of food. What if I get sick? There’s no medicine. Logan could knock me up and I die in childbirth.”
“He’s cute, but I wouldn’t say he’s to die for.”
The moment he’d been shot during the farm raid replayed in her mind. She’d definitely risk her life to protect his. Darci’s joke didn’t even make her smile. Harper let out a long, soft sigh. “I’d totally run into a gunfight to protect him.”
“Wow, you got it that bad for him, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“If he breaks your heart, I’ll cut his balls off for you.”
Harper fist-bumped her. “Thanks. If that happens, it should be ea
sy to catch him. Cliff’s already going to break his legs.”
Darci laughed.
“Logan won’t do that to me though. We talked so much when he was recovering. Can’t fake that connection.” She smiled. “Besides, if he was going to cheat, he would’ve already gone after Grace.”
“That girl’s so hot, I’m tempted to ask her out.” Darci made a rawr noise.
“Since when are you bi?”
Darci sighed. “I’m not. That’s the joke, Harp. Just not fair.”
“What isn’t?” Harper got back on her bike.
“That Grace is that pretty plus smart as hell. She totally cheated rolling stats.” Darci stared at her bike without getting on.
Harper glanced over at her. “Did you just make a D&D joke? We haven’t touched that game since eighth grade.”
“Yeah, well… Once a nerd, always a nerd.”
“Actually, maybe I did play D&D yesterday. Guy ran at me waving a sword and I shot him with an arrow.”
Darci chuckled. “Well, Cliff is a ranger.”
Harper smirked. “Not the same kind of ranger. Umm… Is something wrong with your bike? Why are you just standing there?”
“Those guys are still watching us. They’re going to see under my skirt when I get on. I’m trying to decide if they’re specifically hoping for a peek or are watching us because they don’t trust the cops.”
“You should wear jeans.”
“Screw that. Pants are a tool of patriarchal control.”
Harper sighed. “Okay, super hippie. You could move around to this side and give Henry a heart attack instead.”
Darci laughed, then looked at the house. “He’s not watching us.” She stepped around the bike and kicked her right leg over it so no one at the garden got an up-skirt peek.
“Sometimes, the answer to a problem is really as easy as attacking it from the other side.” Harper wagged her eyebrows.
15
Abnormal World
On the ride north, Harper reluctantly participated in a debate with Darci over the inappropriateness of various clothing. Primarily, why did people think seeing a girl’s underpants was risqué and embarrassing but a bikini bottom—which covered less skin—didn’t elicit the same reaction? And did wearing a bikini bottom like underwear make it subject to being embarrassing?
Harper had no good answer beyond ‘because they’re underpants’ even though she thought nothing of going outside in public wearing a bikini but would be mortified at getting caught outside in panties. To bail out of that conversation, she randomly mentioned Logan not wearing underpants.
“Remember those baggy greenish-grey pants I used to wear in school?” asked Darci.
“The ones that kinda looked like Army fatigues, just all grey? With the big ass pockets on the legs?”
“Yep.” Darci grinned. “Every time I had them on, I went commando.”
“Lies.” Harper shook her head. “You’re just trying to mess with me.”
“Seriously. Those things were sheer and thin and felt wonderful on my bare ass.”
Harper cackled. “Stop. You’re too much.”
“So, candles? Think so?”
“Maybe. If they can’t get the windmills working.”
“Where do candles come from, other than Bed, Bath, and Beyond?” asked Darci.
“Uhh, factories. But you’re really asking me if we can make them. Paraffin wax is made from petroleum, so, no. That’s gone. When the candles we have are done, we’re gonna need to go old school.”
“Which is what? Oil lamps? There’s going to be so much fire.” Darci made a creepy face and spoke in a raspy whisper. “Soooo much fire.”
“Nah.”
“Epic amounts of fire.” Darci whistled. “They better reinvent water pumps before they start giving idiots oil lamps.”
Harper chuckled. “That didn’t really happen that much back then.”
“Sure it did. Remember that story about a cow burning down a whole city?”
“Umm, wasn’t that entire city made out of wood or something? Like, even the roads?” Harper scrunched her nose. “I kinda remember that from history class.”
“Wow, you were awake in that class?”
“Yeah. Unlike some people, I cared about getting good grades so I could get into a good college.”
“How is that working out for you?” Darci stuck out her tongue.
Harper sighed.
“Sorry, just teasing.”
“I know. Can’t tell if I’m more upset that it’s all gone or that I busted my ass for nothing.”
“Lies.” Darci laughed. “You’re totally upset it’s all gone.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey. School doesn’t matter. Career doesn’t matter. Fancy stuff doesn’t matter. The world forgot that. Maybe that’s why someone hit the reset button. The only thing we should care about is our families and friends.” Darci smiled. “And weed.”
Harper laughed.
“Tallow.”
“Huh?” Harper looked over at her, trying not to swerve into a collision.
“I think that’s what they used to make candles out of like way back in the day.”
“What the hell is tallow?”
Darci waved a hand around in thought. “Umm. I read about it during my occult phase. This witch from England said that the tallow candles had a more natural energy and worked better for focusing magic. It’s oils or something… maybe animal fat. Real old school. Stuff we don’t need technology to do. Just need to figure it out.”
“Oh, well, at least we’ll always have candles.” Harper daydreamed about wandering the halls of a medieval castle while carrying a giant candle holder. “Hopefully, fashion doesn’t revert, too. Those dresses looked uncomfortable as hell.”
“No kidding. And people gasped if a girl showed her bare ankles in public.”
“Right? Do you think society’s going to go backward? Force us to wear dresses?”
“Probably not. Everyone who’s still alive remembers the modern world. We might get a weird cult or two with messed up dress codes, but we had that before the war.”
Harper laughed. “What like Amish and Mormons?”
“Among others. People are weird.”
A short distance ahead, a slim black woman in her later thirties walked out onto the highway, waving her arms to get attention.
“Oh, shit. Hope this is something that doesn’t involve death.”
“Cake or death?” asked Darci.
“What?”
“Forget it. I’ll explain later.”
Harper and Darci slowed their bikes to a stop in front of the woman.
“Afternoon,” said the woman. “Couldn’t help but notice that giant gun you’re carrying. You militia?”
“Yes. I’m Harper.” She squeezed the handlebars. “What’s up?”
“Name’s Trisha. I’s just wonderin’ if you all got that killer yet. Heard they found a dead man on the big farm.”
Harper exhaled. Whew. Not an emergency. “We’re still investigating. Haven’t made any definite conclusions yet. Roy’s in charge of the investigation. He was a real cop before the war, so he knows what he’s doing.”
“That’s good. We’re all on edge ’round here. Someone else gonna die soon. Hopefully, it’s the killer.” Trisha patted a handgun on her belt. “They come down this way lookin’ for trouble, they gonna find it.”
“I, umm…” A nervous smile formed on Harper’s lips. “Don’t really think this killer is looking for random victims. It’s not official, but it kinda looks like the victim was killed for personal reasons.”
“Huh.” Trisha nodded, her expression contemplative. “Any idea what?”
“Not yet. If we understood that, we’d know who did it. They really don’t want me talking about it until we have things figured out.”
“Right on.” Trisha stepped out of her way. “Thank ya for takin’ the time. You sure it ain’t no serial killer?”
“That’s my thin
king. But, I’m basically just a kid who’s watched a lot of cop shows.”
Trisha laughed. “Well, that’s somethin’ at least. Better than some deer hunter with a rifle that jumped on the militia to keep their gun. Least you tryin’.”
“Yeah. I’m definitely trying.” Harper smiled, waved, and resumed riding.
A few minutes passed in silence broken only by the noise from the mountain bikes’ gears.
“Darce, what’s the difference between vigilantes and what we’re doing?”
“Vigilantes operate outside the law of society. You guys are the law of this society. Crap fell to pieces and you’re trying to keep it together.”
“Wow. Sometimes you actually sound smart.”
“Consume a phallus,” said Darci.
Harper coughed. “What?”
“Eat a dick sounds too crass for a girl to say.” Darci examined her fingernails.
“Oh. Hah.” Harper blushed but laughed. “Why’d you sleep through class if you’re really smart?”
“Bored, and I knew all that crap they tried to make us learn was just pointless nonsense to keep us under control. Feed everyone the same template of information no matter what their interests or aptitudes are. People aren’t factory-produced goods. Education ought to be based on the student, not what’s best for an industrialized society.”
“You should talk to Violet Olsen. I think you would make an awesome teacher.”
“Right, whatever.”
Harper tried to pat her on the shoulder and nearly dumped the bike again. “Gah!” She fought the wobbling handlebars, stabilizing herself in a few seconds. “I’m serious. You’d be the cool art teacher everyone wanted to get because you’d be so baked you’d let them get away with anything.”
“Fo’ sho’.” Darci cackled. “You seriously think I’d be good as a teacher?”
“Well, you might produce an army of anti-establishment radicals, but the establishment is dead. So, yeah. I mean, if the town isn’t cool with your ‘job’ just being growing weed. No reason you can’t do both. Not like pot plants are high maintenance.”
“I’ll think about it.” Darci let go of the handlebars and stretched, easily balancing herself.
Evergreen (Book 4): Nuclear Summer Page 15