Sisters of the Dawn's Early Light

by Michael W. Huard

  “The thing is, we lost that privilege a long time ago," said Zaey, "even before all the changing wars and destruction of Mother Earth." Zaey, now realizing this woman was her guide, added, “I’m very sorry about that.”

  This woman explained how, in recent times, her people and friends of theirs had been able to claim some of their own territory, seemingly because it was so widespread and far out that no one had really put a thumb down on it.

  The ladies chatted more and began their ride into the vast wilderness.

  The guide was perhaps in her forties, and she told Zaey that she was of Cherokee ancestry. The two talked about the beauty of what was before them as they rode their horses further away from the city.

  The area was getting very windy as they rode slightly uphill for some time. The mountain range in the distance was a former volcano, and the entire region was said to have tons of wildlife still prospering, even today. Nearby was a mine complex, Zaey learned as they traveled, and Wyoming itself just so happened to be the first state where women were given the right to vote. Zaey was happy to hear that, but in today’s dystopian setting, voting for anything was obsolete.

  The women spoke about the more metropolitan areas around these mountains. Areas where city officials under the Corporation’s banner were trying to say that any life living off this very land while not following proper protocol, should either get out of the region or start paying the exorbitant amount of taxes Y-Wood demanded of city residents.

  The young Mystical Slayer listened as her guide continued to explain the situation at hand. The woman, who had not yet given her name, went on. “All we're asking from you is that you give us some way to fight this. If there's any type of loophole or any way whatsoever that the people in my community can stay together out here, we need to know about it."

  Zaey knew what the woman was asking; the question was, what type of plan could she actually come up with after hearing more relevant information. “Well, I will certainly do all I can to figure out a means for you to be able to stay and live your lives exactly where you are now. I’m happy to come here and meet with you all," she added.

  The older Cherokee woman replied, “Well, you were highly recommended to us, even though you're so young. Often it is those with fresh hope that offer the best advice.”

  Zaey said, “Well, I certainly thank you for your vote of confidence. I think you and I both know that my sisterhood is always out to help good people, and I'm going to do my best. You have my word.”

  As they traveled, a cloud of dust formed as other riders started to appear in the distance. Zaey had finally learned through all their discussions that the woman went by the name of Lucinda. She now looked to Zaey with concern and said, “This could be a problem. These could be bandits.”

  Zaey held her hand over her eyes to shield the sun, looked way out into the distance, and then looked back to Lucinda. “Well, that’s just wonderful. Do we have an alternative route here?”

  Lucinda replied, “We can take the long path west to avoid these road travelers.”

  Both the women started headed to the west, urging their horses into a gallop. As soon as they were out of the way of their possible encounter with bandits, Lucinda explained, “The only problem with going this way around, is that we will have to enter a tribal forbidden zone…a place where ancient law says that the dead live.” She gave Zaey an awkward stare. “Legend has it they’re still angry at what happened to their people from long, long, long ago."

  Zaey was taken aback and asked, “So, what exactly happens if we go through this off-limits zone?”

  Lucinda, who was wearing many feather tokens hanging from her hair and ears, gave the young Mystical Slayer woman a serious look. “Hopefully, nothing," she said as she looked to the trail ahead, which was veering off to a more secluded wooded area. "Perhaps we can just ride on through," she added.

  Zaey swallowed hard at those words as the two women galloped on. Tenton’s Peak in the distance was looming majestically above them; it would have been easier to ride due north.

  ***

  Back in New York, Jansa and Sinaye had finally made time for an evening out.

  Jansa was not one to try and dress to impress, so she planned to wear black leather pants, high-top black leather boots, and a red velour sleeveless top. The thing was, even as the oldest in her late twenties, she was the most active and her long, curly blond hair and beautiful complexion added to any attire she chose. She still made for a beautiful looking woman. Tonight, anyone out and about would be certain to take an interest in her.

  “Now wait a minute,” Jansa said, noticing Sinaye was prepping for the night out as well.

  Sinaye was, shall we say, very well put together with long, straight black hair and she had more cat-like looks. She was putting makeup on her face now and accentuating her eyes with a shadowy coloring.

  Her most noticeable attribute was of course her ample bosoms. The young scientist was stacked in that department and it was very difficult to hide, especially for such a slim woman. Tonight she wore blue denim, low-riding pants, a belly chain, and a matching blue denim tank top tied by several strands of material in the front. She was a knockout and would be sure to also gather a lot of attention.

  Jansa shook her head. “You know everyone's going to be after you wearing that. I mean, yowsa, it’s not that…um…shall I say…concealing? Ha ha!”

  Both sisters were off to a so-called private gathering, and Sinaye smiled with excitement as they were finally ready to leave.

  They had a home base land rover at their disposal; it was a Jeep-like vehicle. Without letting anyone know where they were going, they took off down the road.

  Chapter Seven

  In Washington the next morning, President Marcou walked towards the grounds of the Capitol building and the Lincoln Monument. The area still had lots of destruction about, but that was of no concern to him; he was not going to spend any more money for the silly mayor and his façade of power. He had to admit the state building was quite a sight, and the temple-like monument to an ancient president was likewise, pretty damn cool.

  The local crew joined the president and once they'd finished walking the grounds, he announced, “If you knuckleheads start making me more money, I can then justify the sending of troops here to protect this region, in fact, I'm already going to send some. I'm going to send you a hundred and fifty robots, trained, skilled, and intelligent enough to stop any problems near this Capitol building. I’ve spent enough of my own funds making it look so beautiful, I don't want to see it fail.”

  The mayor was thrilled at the president's announcement; he had hoped for at least some extra protection now that the renovations were complete. He proudly announced, “That is so wonderful, Mr. President, we can't thank you enough.” The entire mayor’s team also spoke with happiness and admiration for what Marcou was offering.

  President Marcou kind of laughed at their warm statements; his super robot, Omagus, had already given him a these people are fake look. They were acting up, and both of them knew it. The president and his bot made their way alone for a bit, and Omagus explained his mind-searching results to his boss. “I sense that these men are hoping to one day topple the Corporation, they just need more power and more numbers. They’re very pleased you are offering protection…this will allow them more time and more prestige."

  The president looked to his most prized creation, the billion-dollar, unstoppable force of artificial intelligence and indestructible metal. “Yes, I know that. But it doesn't mean I want this place to be wrecked. In fact, I'm actually going to send more robots than I stated. I like this region, these symbols. They make me feel a connection to the past great leaders of this world.”

  The two of them walked about and looked everything over once more. They then joined the rest of the traveling group, and President Marcou asked the mayor, “What do you have in store for me this evening?”

  The mayor knew very well t
hat when President Marcou entered the Capitol grounds, he would have to do everything in his power to make his trip to Washington D.C. memorable and most satisfactory. “Yes of course, sir, we have the best entertainment and the best food. We also went well out of our way to make sure there were no issues, especially with what just happened earlier. Everything is in order, sir. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful rest of the day and evening before you fly back home.”

  President Marcou asked, “So, as to entertainment, what do you have in mind?”

  Just as the portly Mayor Westley Warns was about to announce the evening’s special attractions, a company bus rolled down the road into the Capitol grounds. One of the nearby clone associates of the president announced, “This will be the media, sir. As you requested, we will make sure that everyone knows of the grand decor now at the Capitol building here, and we will make sure to film when we let the public know how much work you've put in.”

  The president shook his head and looked to the associate. “Shit, I hate the fucking media…just try and keep them mostly away from me.”

  President Marcou then turned to his silly mayor, the one with a star tattoo on his half-balding head. The mayor went on, “I know how much you like the Asian woman, sir. So we have imported several young girls from the Land of the Rising Sun just for you this evening, sir.”

  The mayor felt really proud of his preparations. He added, “And as you have requested, all have been unused and are pure."

  The president ran his hand through his artificially implanted blondish-gray hair remains and then curtly nodded his head in approval of what he was hearing. He then asked the mayor, “So, how are our friends from Japan these days?"

  The mayor shrugged. “Not doing so well, sir. It’s a struggle, but they are still trying to rebuild."

  President Marcou snorted a wicked laugh. “Good. The more they fail, the better we rise.”

  A journey down Pennsylvania Avenue, which was formerly known as America's Street, a massive one at that, was a trip very few would ever make unless they were part of the Corporation's network, of course. Guards were stationed all about the area, the bus had been escorted to the Capitol region, and its occupants were eagerly waiting to continue their tour.

  While they waited, a television screen on the bus jumped to life with a Corporation announcement. R-Bel News Commercial Interruption Broadcast: Bringing action as it happens. At Y-Wood, machines build machines to make the world better and safer. A revolution of fully enhanced smart robots now work in the most dangerous places in the world.

  The ride prior was a onetime spectacle, that of Washington D.C.; a marvel to behold, yet nowadays, not quite so much. Formerly referred to as the White House, this was a large building in which past presidents of the United States would live and work. There was also a tall, obelisk monument that used to tower over the area, but that too had toppled to the ground leaving only the remnants that could still be seen even today.

  Raegan, the newscaster working for R-Bel news via the Corporation, was now being escorted by several Corporation clones to closely inspect the area at hand. Every so often, robotic soldiers were seen in various spots along the route. One of the two spectacles to remain intact was a pillar-like temple representing a former president sitting in a chair, which was still very much a popular tourist destination.

  A clone was escorting the blond woman, and she could now see it was attempting to scan her mind. Raegan knew how to hide her thoughts; it was something the sisterhood had learned to do. The clone man, a short, spiky-haired blond with a matching blond goatee, now asked her a few simple questions.

  “So, young lady, you are here to report on the renovations to the Capitol building I take it?” Raegan nodded in agreement, acting like a simpleton with not much more to say. The clone man, whose eyes gave him away with their slight glow of a dark blue tint, asked, “You’re a confident young lady traveling by yourself, can I take another look at your credentials, please?”

  She simply stated, “I work for R-Bel news, and I'm just here reporting on how nice the Capitol building is now it's been built back up to its standard six-hundred rooms and four floors. From what I've heard, it’s a thing of great beauty.”

  The blond clone smiled at her, thinking how peculiar it was that he could not read her thoughts; perhaps it was a minor glitch in his system. He grinned at her and said, “Just watch yourself and don't poke at things you shouldn't be checking out. And, of course, if you always look to the good side when reporting for the Corporation, you’ll be just fine."

  Raegan gave him a slight smile and replied, “Of course, absolutely. That's my job, and the Corporation pays me.” The clone nodded in agreement while smirking at her.

  Eventually, the bus arrived back to the central locale, bringing into view the large white-domed Capitol building in all its glory. The building itself was not a home base of the Y-Wood Corporation; it was more of a fake location made to look like it was special.

  President Marcou pretty much had nothing to do with the place, not until now. But it was a good place for the rich to mingle and make better deals to impact the future of Y-Wood, and he knew that wholeheartedly.

  So the president had decided to keep it going and not have it burned to the ground.

  Chapter Eight

  Chaya made her way to Connecticut. Whenever she had a chance to speak on hope, she was not one to hesitate at such an opportunity. Clans of people existed in modern broken America, and they needed someone or something to grasp onto in order to believe that better days were ahead.

  It was always known to be dangerous to visit any of these off-beat locales because they did not follow the laws of the Y-Wood Corporation. Patrols were often sent out to those that didn't obey President Marcou. The area she was traveling to was called Wadsworth State Park in Middleton, Connecticut. It was the most southern New England state, and it was in this particular region that a group of those who opposed the Corporation laws were living in the mountains.

  A particular waterfall was the landmark she would have to look out for. She would have to hike about a mile to reach it, which was not a bad thing as it meant the people from the streets were kept from easily spotting the locale.

  Chaya took her private roadster and eventually hid her bike under the cover of woodland to make her way down the hiking trail. Once she was closer to the marked spot on the map, she saw what looked to be severe destruction all about.

  It definitely looked like some sort of Corporation strike; most of the buildings by the waterfall had been blown to pieces. There was no community left to talk to, and therefore, no one to inspire to fight back against the tyranny that ruled the former great nation. She stopped by the base of the waterfall, and to see the rubble and remains around this beautiful spot devastated her and really saddened her heart. She went to the water’s edge and filled her water bottle up, scanning the area for any possible survivors. There appeared to be none. As she turned to walk back down the trail, she glanced one more time over her shoulder at the thirty-foot waterfall; such a beautiful act of nature. It really was too bad, she thought again. Then she heard a child's voice call out to her.

  ***

  Raegan was one of three reporters to enter the Capitol building area. Early afternoon had settled in on a warmish fall day. The foliage was strikingly lovely, and even after such devastating wars, nature still had a luster, a reawakening that could not be seen as anything less than beautiful.

  Each of the reporters, one, an older gentleman with curly gray hair and glasses, another, a tad skinny younger man with handsome features and dark cropped hair joined the young Mystical Slayer undercover girl as they were escorted about the grounds for an introduction in the main area. A clone took care of the tour, although he said very little. First off, the Capitol building was a sight to see; a huge, grand structure with a domed roof that stood out for miles. Later, the official taping and interviews would go ahead where it would all lead to discussing the hist
ory of the region.

  The associate took the reporters to the side and they joined together in a flower garden to discuss the agenda for tomorrow. The very well designed part man, part robot was a tall fellow with a perfect black beard and stylish hair. He finally introduced himself as Raskman. He was elegant in his words. “In the morning, you will be taken about inside the Capitol building. There are four floors that you will be shown and over five-hundred rooms, one of which you will each be staying in tonight. Some rooms are not open to the public, and I caution you to not wander about tonight or you will be banned indefinitely.” He pointed to the two male reporters. “You both have one room together, and the young lady has one of her own.”

  Raskman looked over the threesome, his fake blue eyes moving over each person’s frame in turn. Raegan knew he was scanning and blocked his attempt. He then looked at one of the men, the older fellow, and issued another warning. “Tomorrow, you will see other areas nearby, such as the Lincoln monument that has been fully renovated as well, though I say once more, do not wander about. Of course, you must remember to always report on the great accomplishments of Mayor Warns and President Marcou here.” He smiled, showing his perfect bright, white teeth. “Your job is on the line. Do the right thing, my friends.” He then looked back at Raegan; she was dressed in nothing too fancy, her hair was tied up and she had her glasses on. He just stared at her for a moment, then she looked away before words were spoken.

  ***

  The cry out was a boy's. Chaya turned and scanned the area but saw no one.