by Eve Langlais
The absurdity of the query brought a chuckle. “Magic is not real.” Even as the concept of it was bandied around the dorms, along with stories of dragons and tales of the city at the end of the world where a king resided.
“Vera! Get your ass over here,” the still angry Nikki yelled, hands on her hips.
“Coming!” Vera yelled. “My Nikki is a jealous wench. I have to go. But don’t think we won’t be watching you. Spy.”
The very idea kept Laura entertained until lunch. Someone served her, and while she couldn’t have said what she ate, all of it proved delicious. She spent the afternoon watching the bustle around her. No one sat down to chat with her for long, other than Kylie who was fetched at one point by Sally, the woman who supposedly swelled with a baby inside her.
Given her size, she looked more likely to burst. Which made Laura wonder why any woman would agree. Was the old-fashioned way of creating a baby deadly? It would explain why they went to growing them in vats.
At least Nikki remembered to fetch her and bring her to a privy a few times. It provided more privacy than the one in her dorm. It even had running gray water to flush, which surprised her.
“You waste water?” she’d asked.
Nikki lifted one shoulder. “We’ve got more than we need, so why not?”
The idea of no rationing sounded utterly radical.
Supper didn’t disappoint, with a savory, salty hunk of meat and something called mashed potatoes with gravy. It brought a groan of joy. The dessert, something frothy and sweet, made her so happy she could have cried.
Another privy break and Laura noticed a quieting inside the hidden bunker. People settled down for the evening, and she heard the strains of music. She closed her eyes and absorbed it. The Creche only allowed a few songs and all them were praising their task in raising the next generation and obeying. Hardly something anyone would sing for fun.
By the time Axel returned, she was slumped on the table, her head cradled on her arm. He said nothing as he untied the rope tethering her. Only once he freed her wrist, which she immediately massaged, did he mutter, “Let’s go. Bedtime.”
That sounded wonderful. She staggered after him, tired and out of sorts. She longed for some quiet and somewhere more comfortable to sit than the long, hard bench.
When they reached Axel’s room, he didn’t say anything as he undressed, leaving on his pants but unbuttoning the top of them. His chest was completely bare tonight.
She kept her gaze averted. Nervous, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “There are a lot of people here.”
“A few.”
“How?”
“How did they come to live here? Or did you mean to ask why some of them left your precious domes?” he drawled. “Desperation sends them away. Luck leads them to safety.”
“I don’t believe you. Citizens don’t voluntarily leave the domes.”
“People leave them a lot more than you’re aware of.”
She threaded her fingers. “What you’re saying is the opposite of everything I’ve been taught.” But had she’d been taught the truth?
“Don’t believe me. Talk to some people. Ask the previous dome dwellers why they left. See if their stories resonate in any way.”
Hear them reinforce the emotion she tried to keep bottled? The screaming urge to get out?
“I don’t want to stay here. I want to return to a dome.” She said it as if to reaffirm her choice.
“I am well aware of what you want. And we’re working on it.”
He lay back, arm tucked under his head, drawing attention to that very nude torso.
She turned away, seeing nothing out of the windows, just the barest reflection of herself. “Is this place the only one of its kind?”
“You mean the only Rats out in the Wasteland?” He snorted. “There’s more of us than you can imagine.”
“And who rules you?”
“We rule ourselves.”
“No king or queen?” she asked.
His lips tugged. “Are you seriously interrogating me for information?”
“No. I am just trying to understand.” Because nothing made sense. “What are dogs?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Kylie claimed you had some. What are they?
“Nothing you need to know about. If you’re coming to bed, then you might want to move. I’m turning off the light.” He lay quite at ease on the mattress, and she could see how small it was. Knew she’d end up probably glue to him again if she joined him.
It sounded delightful.
It was also very wrong.
Instead, she snared the shirt he’d discarded and used it as a pillow bundled under her head before lying on the floor.
“What are you doing?” he asked softly.
“Going to sleep.”
“On the floor?”
“It’s not appropriate to share a bed.”
“I assure you, your virtue won’t be attacked.”
“I’m perfectly fine down here.”
Which was a lie. She tossed and turned. Enough that he grumbled, “Stop being stubborn and get your ass over here right now.”
“I’m fine.”
“Laura. Don’t make me get out of this bed.” The words were growled.
She held herself still.
He padded to her in the dark, scooped her into his arms, and practically tossed her on the bed. “Go to sleep.”
She huddled by the wall, very much aware of him as he lay beside her. She didn’t move at all as his breathing evened. Eventually she joined him in sleep.
Then briefly woke to find herself cradled against him, his hand stroking her hair. The warmth of it lulled her right back into slumber.
When she finally felt rested enough to truly open her eyes, he was gone.
Eight
Waking, Axel was immediately aware of the woman splayed over him, her cheek pressed to his chest, her leg thrown over his. His arm was around her, resting on her lower rib cage. It would be easy to roll her over and wake her with a kiss.
Or something a little harder.
The very idea startled, and he moved out from under her, freezing when she mumbled in her sleep. She didn’t wake, and he grabbed his clothes before fleeing.
No, not fleeing. Just getting an early start on his day—noticing the hum he felt around her dissipating the further he went.
He began with a cold shower. Then a cold breakfast, where he arranged a hot one to be delivered to Laura.
He also sent orders to Nikki to keep an eye on her, bring her for piss breaks, maybe take her for a walk around Haven. That arrangement lasted less than half the morning. When Axel found out Nikki had tied Laura to the table, stating babysitting an idiot was beneath her, he went to check on her, only to find her staring in horrified fascination at something.
It didn’t take much to figure out she eyed Sally’s very pregnant belly. When he neared, Laura muttered, “How does she not split open?”
“Because women have been doing this since the dawn of our existence,” he said.
Laura cast a glance at him and chewed her lip. “Exploding? It’s a wonder we still exist.”
He chuckled. “No one explodes.” He signaled to Sally. Soon now they’d have one more body requiring a bed. He needed more room.
“What’s up, boss?” Sally asked with a smile as she approached. “Is Kylie over here bugging Laura again?”
“Oh, I don’t mind her. She’s fun to chat with,” Laura assured her.
Axel pointed to Sally’s belly. “Laura here has never seen someone pregnant before. Thinks you’re going to explode.”
Sally chuckled. “Sometimes I think I’m going to as well.”
That didn’t reassure Laura. Her eyes widened.
“She means that figuratively,” he reassured.
“How does it get out?” Laura asked.
Sally snickered. “The baby comes out the only hole big enough.”
“We don’t have
a hole big enough.” Laura shook her head. “Unless you have like a dozen small babies in there.”
“Just one. And it comes out here.” Sally pointed to her groin.
If possible, Laura turned even whiter. “Impossible.”
“It stretches.”
Laura choked.
Axel tried not to laugh, whereas Sally shook her head. “It’s always the same the first time you show them.”
Laura shook her head. “You’re lying. There’s no baby in there. You’re making fun of me.”
“You’re being deliberately obtuse.” Axel snared her hand and placed it on Sally’s belly, which had become the public belly of Haven. Everyone loved touching the symbol of life it represented.
Being a good sport, Sally didn’t mind. She even encouraged those with low spirits to press a palm against it. The baby liked to move, the visible sign a jolt of magical hope.
Laura’s expression was mulish. Her brows knit in annoyance. Her lips pursed. Her eyes narrowed. Then she felt it. Her hand jolted as the baby kicked.
“It’s alive,” she murmured.
The baby rolled again.
Laura swallowed hard. “There is something alive in her stomach.”
Sally placed her hands on her belly. “A baby. A little brother or sister for Kylie.”
“Kylie came from there?” Laura’s gaze went from the belly to Sally’s face.
“After almost a full day of labor.” Sally’s nose crinkled. “But I bounced back quick, and she was a good baby.”
Laura was quiet once she removed her hand. Pensive even. He opened his mouth to talk to her and snapped it shut. Let her work things out on her own. She wasn’t his concern. Given Nikki had disappeared, he arranged to have Laura spend time with Dottie.
Anything he could to not be around her.
Bad enough she’d spent the previous night mauling him again. His own fault. He should have left her on the floor. Yet lying in that bed, he couldn’t help but think of her on that cold, hard floor. Heard her shifting and squirming. Told himself he needed her in good condition for an eventual sale. He even partially believed his own lie.
He spent the day dealing with Haven shit in between worrying about another report of an Enclave group scouting too close to the hump fields—what they’d taken to calling the hills around here. The hidden buildings were long abandoned and overgrown. They’d scouted almost all of them in the hopes of finding one they could use for expansion.
None of them proved feasible.
Even Hill Haven was running into challenges because of the changing environment. A few weeks ago, they had their first encounter with the mist, a strange fog that rose from the ground at random. It could happen in broad daylight. Morning. Night. It lasted a few minutes to a couple of hours. It didn’t harm them with its touch, and yet no one was allowed outside when the fogs came. They’d had three experienced Wastelanders disappear in it and never return, including Titan. Axel liked to think his damaged friend had gone on a mission to find them a new home. But at times, he feared the worst.
The mist added another layer of danger and reason why they needed to change homes.
But where? All the usable ruins were already claimed. Leaving him with the choice of trying to build or taking a place from someone else. If only the stories about a free kingdom were true.
It was late in the day when Karlos returned with news for him. “I got a hold of my contact.” Meaning he’d traveled far enough to find a signal that would work then went through a series of relays to advertise what Haven had for sale and what they wanted in return. “The Enclave is very interested in getting her back.”
“Why?”
“I haven’t been able to discover why yet. I do know there was an incident involving Laura. The decision to move her came within forty-eight hours.”
Axel whistled. “Implying she did something that caught their attention. Which reminds me.” He dug into his pocket. “I found this on the truck.”
“Now you hand me the paperwork?”
“I forgot.”
“I’ll bet you did,” Karlos muttered. He took the missive and read it, eyed Axel and then the note again. “I don’t think it has anything to do with her.”
Axel wanted to ask what it said, especially since Karlos knew he couldn’t read. But not offering was Karlos’ passive-aggressive way of trying to convince Axel to take lessons. Like a child. He didn’t have time for that.
“I thought you should have it, though, just in case,” he bluffed. He veered the conversation back to the deal. “How much is she worth?”
Karlos arched a brow. “That’s cold even for you. She is a person.”
“Who doesn’t want to be here. Ask her yourself. She can’t wait to go back to a dome. Which means I am more than happy to trade her. Considering the only other thing we got from the raid was the truck, I’m kind of hoping she’s worth a small fortune.”
“How can she want to return?” Karlos grimaced.
“Not everyone sees the Enclave as a prison.”
“Has Nikki talked to her?”
“Yup. Hasn’t made a difference.” He didn’t mention that even if it did, he might make the trade. Keeping Laura would lead to nothing but trouble. For him.
He still couldn’t believe he’d given Gunner a tongue-lashing over talking to the woman. When Axel growled, “Stay away from her,” what had his second growled?
“Maybe you should piss on her so everyone knows you’ve claimed her.”
As if anyone could think he wanted Laura.
“She is extremely valuable.” Karlos pointed to a sheet of paper he pulled from a tray, etched with lines and dots.
Axel didn’t bother trying to read it. “Give me the gist.”
“A lot more than expected. Which leads me to believe she’s a late bloomer.”
“And? Why does that suddenly make her in high demand?” Axel demanded. “She’s too old to be of much use as a Madre.”
“Still well within the acceptable age range to harvest eggs.”
He could have shuddered at the word harvest. There was something inherently cold about it. “So they suddenly think she’s got special eggs. How much are they willing to pay to get them back?”
“A gemminar battery.”
Axel said nothing for a moment as the price sank in. “Fully charged?”
Karlos nodded.
“Fuck.” Axel whistled. “We could power Haven for three or four years with one of those.” As opposed to scrounging for replacement batteries that kept breaking down. Or hunting down fuel for a smoking generator when the batteries failed. A gemminar would provide a stable energy source and emitted no emissions to choke the air.
“I take it we’re interested in making the deal.”
“Of course. How soon do they want the woman?” Axel fought against the sourness the words left behind.
“As soon as possible.”
“How about the Valley at dusk in three days?” Axel suggested. “I’ll leave first thing in the morning, so make arrangements with your buyer.”
“It will only take you two to get there even with backtracking.”
“I was going to go via the scenic route.” With the Enclave patrols roaming nearby, he’d have to be extra cautious.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Karlos asked.
“Yes.” He hardened himself against any other emotion.
Laura meant nothing to him.
Nothing.
Meaning to head to bed, he was waylaid by Vera, who’d had her mission to the woods canceled due to Nikki freaking. Another conversation he’d have preferred to avoid.
“I need to talk to you,” Vera stated.
“About?”
“Nikki.” Then Vera said bluntly, “You can’t sell Laura to the Enclave.”
“It’s what she wants.” How many times would he have to say it before he accepted it?
“That woman has no idea what she wants. She’s been brainwashed her entire life.”
“She has, and so what? She’s had a few days to see what freedom looks like. She keeps insisting she wants to leave. You gotta remember, not everyone hates living in the domes.”
“Because she doesn’t understand what will happen. She thinks Nikki is lying.”
“Has Nikki actually explained what happened to her inside the Incubaii Dome?” When he’d rescued Nikki, her white robes were stained in blood. Her hands, too.
“That damned brainwashed idiot has no idea what rape means. She says no one would dare force fornication on someone else.”
“Surely she’s heard of it happening?”
Vera shook her head. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say the woman was a virgin without even the simplest clue of what sex is.”
At that he snorted. “She has to know the mechanics.”
Anything else was…ludicrous, and yet, he’d seen firsthand the brainwashing. The conviction of true followers that ignored any evidence that didn’t fit their narrow rules. Just because Laura used the word fornication didn’t mean she understood the act behind it.
“Have you asked her what she thinks her new job will entail?” Axel leaned against a stack of tires, his body tired because he’d pushed it hard, knowing where he had to sleep tonight.
“She has only the vaguest idea. According to her, the Madres help create babies. She has no clue how. Yet she is quite fine with them harvesting her eggs to grow babies in gestational tanks.”
“That is how the majority are created.” The Enclave required vast amounts of bodies to fuel their many tasks in the satellite domes.
“We both know they won’t use her to just harvest.” Vera paced, her face ripe with emotion. “The really pretty ones are used by Enclave members. By those in power.”
A virgin whored out to bastards who wouldn’t even see her as a person but a womb that might give them a bargaining chip. Especially if it turned out Laura had the right kind of genetics.
“I don’t know what else you expect me to do. Despite being warned, she wants to go back.”
“You’re condemning her to being raped and tortured,” Vera exclaimed.
“It doesn’t happen to all of them.” The stupidest statement he’d made yet.
“Have you seen her? The woman is gorgeous.”