Terminus Project: Mars (Dystopian Child Prodigy SciFi)

by Casey Herzog

  I picked up my bag and strapped it over my shoulder. I felt the weight of the provisions weighing me down. I’d never taken this long a hike or to any kind of altitude that was going to feel like the air was sucking out of me. I was no stranger to pushing myself beyond my limit, but I could only hope my fortitude would give me what I needed.

  “I’m very disappointed in you. I was just starting to think you were never going to leave me. I should’ve known given a chance you would want to make tracks. I don’t mean to be this defensive, but this whole thing has brought it out of me. I would be very careful when you come back. You never know what the landscape is going to look like on your return. There could be some interesting changes. I’m not saying that to threaten you or to make you rethink your decision, but I thought you should be forewarned. Julian might be in over his head.” Penelope was referring to herself and how she was going to make Julian’s life a lot more difficult than it had to be.

  “There’s no reason why you and Julian can’t be friends. He has always been there for me, and I trust he will do the same for you and the other students. Since you are the oldest of them all, I want you to take an active role in dispensing some of your own wisdom and guidance.” I figured the best thing to do for Penelope was to give her some responsibility. She looked completely shocked by my suggestion, but I think she was secretly delighted that I had decided she was worthy of my respect.

  “I think I may have underestimated you and for that, I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart. I hope your trust in me is warranted. I’ve been dancing along the line for some time with the possibility of going too far. Perhaps, I can learn from my mistakes and teach others not to follow in my footsteps.” This was what I wanted to hear, but I wasn’t sure how much I could believe.

  “I knew if given the chance you could rise above all of my expectations. Tabitha is the one I want you to take a special interest in. She’s growing by leaps and bounds, and without a helping hand, she could get lost and become something she won’t even recognize. You also have the capability, but you’re old enough to know when to pull back at the right time.” By giving her a chance, I was telling her that I knew she would do the right thing.

  “You’re making it very hard to stay mad at you. I will do what I can to live up to your expectations. I still feel there is more out there for me to learn -- there’s this pull towards something ugly, in my opinion. It’s very powerful. Others have felt the same thing, but maybe not in the same regard. For the most part, I have fought its influence, but it’s a little like a jokester playing on my need to make others miserable.” She had never voiced these concerns before, and I wanted to make sure she knew of the strength within her.

  “Penelope, you and I both know there are forces out there working to corrupt those with magic. I was in your shoes, but I did not show your promise, which is scary to a lot of people. You can’t blame them for reacting, but we need to be the example and not the problem. We have to be better than what they think we can be. It’s the only way to prove to them of how far we have come in such a short period of time.”

  I hugged both of them, letting them immerse themselves into the warmth of the magic between the three of us. They were both strong in their own ways, but Tabitha could easily slip and fall into a darker path. I could use Penelope to break the cycle of violence and make her realize the best thing for everybody was to contain the power burning in their veins.

  “I don’t know how you did it, but I want you to be proud of me. I feel something coming, like a cloud on the horizon. It’s gaining strength as it gets closer. I would be remiss if I didn’t at least tell you to be careful. It won’t be the same without you, but we will manage to muddle through somehow. I can’t promise not to give Julian a hard time. It would be like trying to change somebody and their basic nature. What I can do is think twice before I act, which hopefully will be enough for me to see my actions have consequences.”

  I wasn’t sure what to make of Penelope, but her sincerity was hopefully infectious.

  “I’m going to do you one better, Penelope. I want you to teach a couple of classes, especially within the natural elements. You’re better than most in manipulating the natural elements. I want to utilize your strengths to help others attain the same goals. This is not just for them, but it’s for you to learn how to work with others. They may not listen to you, but with careful consideration, I’m sure you can come up with constructive ways to make things pleasant. These kids respond to a fun way of doing things without making it feel like it’s monotonous and boring.”

  It was possible giving too much responsibility to Penelope would lead her to feel suffocated, but it was a chance I was willing to take.

  “You have to stop making me feel like I belong somewhere. I want to see things differently and to know what I teach them is something they can use.” I could see young Tabitha reaching out, and I thought it was for me, but she seemed to be more interested in my shadow tiger. I didn’t even know anybody else could see him, but it was obvious Tabitha was on a wavelength of her own.

  “You both have the world in the palm of your hands. That is a huge responsibility and is to be taken seriously. Life can be whatever you put into it, but hard work is the only answer and there are no shortcuts. You might think you can take chances on your own, but the allure of magic can be quite debilitating. I want you to get along in my absence.”

  They could either be friends or the kind of enemies with long standing memories.

  “I sometimes forget others are not as strong as we are, and it’s not right to ridicule them or make them dance like puppets for my own selfish amusement. I’m sorry I gave you any reason to doubt your teaching ability. I’ve always done things a certain way, and it’s hard to listen to someone else. I can’t promise that I’m going to be a good girl, but I can make some allowance for those who get on my nerves. That’s far more than I think they deserve. One day, I might see the world as you do, but right now, it’s a little hard to think of them as more than small and insignificant. I think on some level I’ve always been jealous of Tabitha because she is so young and already she is performing at my level. It’s hard not to recognize myself in her eyes when I was her age.”

  I had always had a feeling it was something like that, but I had to let her make the conclusion on her own.

  “I hate to break this up, but we really need to get going while it’s still light. We might make it to the base of the mountain before we have to set up camp. People have spoken of strange occurrences in the middle of the night. We don’t venture far outside of this community unless it’s during daylight hours because nobody knows what lurks out there waiting for unsuspecting victims to fall into their trap,” my father said with his attention to the mountain in the distance.

  It was a hell of a fight to find my way back to my father, and I wasn’t going to give up on my belief to be equals.

  I couldn’t seem to let go of Penelope or Tabitha, but they finally backed away, looking out of breath and feeling embarrassment at showing this kind of affection to another.

  “We will both look out after one another. It’s the least that we can do for what you have taught us. I can’t speak for Penelope, but I’m going to miss you greatly, like a piece of me is missing.” I wanted them both to know their potential was huge. It was a matter of smoothing out the wrinkles and giving them the right tools to make the hard decisions.

  “All my life, I felt I never measured up and I was walking in your shadow. I don’t need to live up to any lofty expectations. The only person I have to be better than is me. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I finally came to terms with what you taught me all of my life. Little snippets of information and guidance goes a long way to forming me into the woman you see today.”

  “I never wanted you to feel like there was any reason for you to live in my shadow. I want you to be your own woman. Making mistakes is a part of life, but I feel it’s my responsibility to make sure you are ready for anythin
g.”

  I walked ahead of him, taking the lead, which was going to get under his skin. He was above reproach in most people’s eyes, but I was ready to cast aside his strict upbringing. We had a few hours, and making it on foot to the base of the mountain before the sun went down was not going to be easy.

  Chapter Ten

  The fire was crackling and my father had brought along some food. There was no need to hunt down some defenseless creature in the night when we weren’t even sure what living things inhabited the forest outside the community walls. There were sightings of things with wings circling the area, but nothing was approaching too closely.

  Most reports of what was seen happened after indulging in way too many drinks at a local watering hole. One drink could make you forget your name. I once had one sip and lost time for the next three days before getting a semblance of normalcy.

  “I know we’ve never done this before, daughter, but this has always been considered taboo. It’s unpredictable out here, and we cannot conduct ourselves without thinking about all the variables. We’ve all heard the stories and the looming shadow above tells me there is a slice of truth, if you’re willing to look for it.” I heard a strange squeal and looked above to see something circle like it was getting ready for the chance to pick at our bones.

  “I’ve brought everything I think we will need to get to the top of the mountain. We can’t use magic, and those who have tried have done themselves a disservice. The mountain prevents anybody from using outside influences other than their own unique skill set.”

  I tore into the meat with my teeth like some sort of Neanderthal, and there was nothing delicate about my approach. There was something freeing and liberating about getting in touch with our ancestor’s roots.

  “Your mother was quite an avid hiker, and she liked to stay out overnight from time to time. I think it was her bravery and stupidity all rolled into one that made her a package worth pursuing,” my father said before pausing to take a breath.

  “I don’t know about you, but I have been thinking about her more often these days. She would have made sure we never lost touch with one another. I’m sure wherever she’s at, she’s shaking her head in disbelief at how we’ve been blind to each other’s needs.”

  I wanted my father to be around and I wasn’t sure if it was too little too late. My mother was that buffer between us; without her around we had become strangers.

  Some have seen some amazing light shows, but it was only hearsay. It did fascinate some of us to believe we were not alone. I actually staked out the wall one night to get a glimpse of the sightings, but nothing materialized. I didn’t tell my father or my mother about sneaking out and doing this once a month because I had nothing to show for it.

  “I had no idea my mother was a camper. I imagine she got some dirty looks from the older generation. It’s a risky endeavor; only those with less than a sound mind would even attempt such a feat.”

  “My heart is pounding and we both need to meditate before we venture too far off the beaten path.”

  I didn’t want to bother him and I wasn’t looking for anything more than conversation. My father assumed the position, curling his legs beneath him. I followed him and watched his breathing to find the necessary exercise to slow my pulse from racing.

  “I sent out two of the drones to get the lay of the land, and they made it to the mountain before being interrupted by some sort of interference. I tried to get the signal back, but it was lost, which only confirms my suspicion there is more here than we realize.”

  Another, and another had joined the shadow above, until there were at least four of them watching our every move. The huge shadows stretching across the ground were courtesy of our fire illuminating them, but they were smaller than they appeared. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say they were young and impressionable.

  “You shouldn’t give them any opening because we don’t know how they will react. Keeping close to one another will help us to determine what kind of threat they are. I have made my assessment, and I believe them to the descendants of the ‘fire’. I see the proof staring us in the face.” I saw the fire streak across the sky in various colors. It should’ve been terrifying, but I was more interested in what the purpose behind the exercise was.

  “They are only babies. You can’t fault them for finding us curious to watch from above. I’m sure they will report their findings back to their parents. They might come with a bit more force than fire streaking across the sky.”

  They were young and they were just trying to find their way the best way they knew how. The rumors of the ‘fire’ being real were compounded by it having a family. It had never occurred to anyone before, but maybe everything it was doing was primarily an example of how a parent would look after a child.

  “I don’t mind their curiosity, but that’s as far as I want to take getting to know them. All these thoughts you have about them is nothing compared to how their parents will react when they make our acquaintance. I don’t want to listen to any kind of negativity.”

  His thinking was antiquated and trying to bring me down was only making me fight even harder for the rights of any living and breathing creature.

  “I would have a deep discussion with them, but I fear they would inadvertently kill me without even realizing what they were doing.” I casually looked up from time to time in quiet awe of their ability to take flight and bring the full power of nature with them.

  “I’m going to douse the fire with the darkness swallowing us up until morning. Keep an eye on our friends since there’s no telling what they are going to do. We may as well stand and ready ourselves for whatever battle comes upon us.”

  My father was giving me reason to trust his judgment. The basic behavior of human nature was one of his strong suits. Most creatures living and breathing had a certain way they needed to follow, and my father had studied evolution.

  “I would say they didn’t like our fire because they weren’t responsible for setting it. We’ve become a mild annoyance, and hopefully, we won’t be seeing them again. They have flown away, but what will bring them back is a scary thought indeed. We just need to remain vigilant, which will mean one of us sleeping and the other one standing guard. I’m more than happy to take first watch.” I wanted to prove to him that I could do it and there was no reason to leave me out of the loop.

  “You’ve shown some real initiative. This is something more than most kids can accomplish. I never told you about the story of the banished. Magic had a bad reputation and some took advantage of their power over others. They didn’t have the right kind of family structure to keep them grounded. They fed on peer pressure like it was a drug. I think I should have thought about that before I kept you at a distance.”

  This was a story I needed to know more about, but I wasn’t sure how much my father was ready to reveal.

  The creatures above had vanished leaving behind the moon to make it easier for us to see what we were doing.

  “You say that like it’s something to be ashamed of. I know there were people not very accepting of those with magic and they would watch them carefully for strange behavior. I can only assume punishment was given when it was deemed appropriate on a case by case basis.”

  I was digging in a little deeper and learning of the banished. I had this feeling it might give me more insight.

  “We promised never to speak of the subject again, but they aren’t here to make sure I keep my mouth shut. The kids really didn’t know what they were doing, and I didn’t blame them for acting out, but I was the minority. I tried to make them see reason, but I was outvoted. We sent them away, stripping them of their magic with their unavoidable screams. They suffered because of our inability to accept their faults. We didn’t take an active role in their development.”

  I remembered the vision Damien had given me of the flower and the mountain. It hurt him and sent his recovery back with his mind withdrawing in on itself. I couldn’t help to blame myself for h
is predicament.

  “I’ve seen you fight for what you believe in. I imagine they had a hard time preventing you from intervening. I wouldn’t expect anything different. I only wish you could’ve shown me some of the same when mother died. She was gone and I had nobody to turn to other than the influence of magic. You probably thought I was old enough to secure my legacy, but I was still young and I really didn’t know the full scope of what I was getting myself into.” Having these heart-to-hearts had opened up the pathways of communication and allowed us to say what was on our mind.

  “You have to believe me. I never meant to hurt you, and it kills me every time I think about leaving you out in the cold.”

  It was what he wanted. He wanted me to be strong enough to be my own woman. I still remembered the many poignant messages he had given me throughout my life. They were ingrained into my psyche, and I would pull out each little nugget from time to time to live by.

  “I know you meant no harm, but you did pull away from me. We weren’t very close, but I thought after she was gone we would become best friends. It’s too bad that only recently we have come to some understanding about how each of us felt during those tumultuous times.”

  I was lying beside him on the ground, conserving body heat and listening for any sign of unexpected visitors. I didn’t think our friends would be back, but it was in the back of my mind. I couldn’t help to think how vulnerable we were and how fragile our bodies would be during an attack from the sky.

  “I’ve watched you very carefully. You’ve grown into a remarkable young woman. You still make mistakes, but we all find ourselves flat on our back and we always find a way to persevere. It’s a cycle, and one I don’t want you to repeat. We’ve all been where you are.”

  I found my independence, but it was given to me at a price I didn’t want to pay. My father had been under the impression that tough love was the only kind of love.

  “Let’s forget about that for the time being and get back to the banished.” I tried to change the subject and found his unwillingness to speak was followed by a very deep breathing.