I sit on the sand at the edge of the trees and watch the rest of the barge sink into the sea. By the time it’s gone, so are the gouges in my legs.
They’re just gone.
It’s silent after this, save for the rhythmic surf crashing against the shore. I match my breaths to it, trying to drown out the deafening absence of my heartbeat—of what I already know is the beginning of endless time—the whole nightmare swallowed in the red and gold sunset.
Also by Tracy Korn
“Feral” is the prequel to Tracy Korn’s new Sci-Fi / Fantasy series, First Bloods, which will be released in the spring of 2019.
Other books by this author include The Elements series:
AQUA
TERRA
AER
IGNIS
About the Author
Tracy Korn is a sci-fi / fantasy author and all around science geek who may or may not have a "Lip Smackers" chapstick addiction.
When she’s not inventing dystopian worlds (and subsequently saving them or wrecking them more), she reads about other people doing it, practices her newbie cinematographer skills, and dreams of someday meeting James Cameron.
To be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways, and if Tracy ever really does meet James Cameron, sign up for her VIP list.
And of course, stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms found at TracyKorn.com.
Just want book release updates? Follow Tracy on Amazon, Bookbub, or Goodreads.
Menace Ascending
Paul Heingarten
Ana is fresh out of graduation and ready to start her life as a Worker and begin a new family as part of the system of her nation, Lebabolis. But rumors about the underground Lebabolis Resistance swirl, and Ana finds herself face to face with a choice.
Will she choose the life she knows, or risk living a life of upheaval and conflict for a chance to know what freedom really means?
Chapter 1
Ana Crucinal stared at the graduation credential in her hands. Legs crossed, she sat on her bed and pawed over the translucent document. She was finished with her training in Lebabolis as a Worker Product, and the next thing for her was a series of assignments. All classes of Products: Worker, Warrior, and Intellectual, waited after completing their training for the word, the small announcement that dictated for each of them the course of their life from that moment forward.
A luminous, black video screen faced her bed. The Lebabolis national crest shimmered on the digital monitor. It looked back at Ana like a watchful parent. The MODOSNet updates ran daily, but it wasn’t time yet. Even when it was, Ana knew anything that came in the system report wasn’t going to be about her work obligation. All she knew was that, as a Worker Product, she’d be sent somewhere like a plant for making parts for other machines or processing Valentium, a rock-like substance discovered by Intellectual Products as a source of fuel.
Like the notice about their job placement, there was another designation to be given, the Pairing, where she’d be sent to live with another Worker Product, the idea being that together they’d produce offspring under that same Product registration, per the laws of Lebabolis.
The roar of a Hell Hawk engine boomed outside. The sleek airships were used for their maneuverability and ran regular patrols through the Sectors of Lebabolis, where they searched for Deviants, those who couldn’t or wouldn’t follow along with the policies and laws of the nation. Some had problems with the food allotments. Others took issue with the work or pairing assignments. As for the rest, their resistance was a mystery. Or at least it was to the nation’s leaders. Lebabolis did what it could to weed out nonconformists.
In its second century of existence, Lebabolis stood as a beacon for many, as hope that the planet Earth could somehow arise from the ashes from its last great war and those who survived built a new world again. One of safety, security, and purpose.
The lights flickered in Ana’s room. She glanced up at them until they returned to full brightness. The Valentium cores were switched out every so often and sometimes it involved a power dip for a few moments. Deposits of Valentium were found in a lot of places around Lebabolis as well as the Outlands, which made regular runs to the Outlands important.
The only problem with venturing out into the Outlands was the risk of running into one of the random groups of Scavengers moving about. The origins of the Scavengers were a mystery. Some were believed to be outcasts from Lebabolis, but others could have been from elsewhere. Regardless of the Scavengers’ origins, a contingent of Warrior Products from Lebabolis accompanied all Lebabolis excursions into the Outlands—for Valentium harvesting and any other trips considered necessary by the nation’s ruling group, the Coursons.
A rumble of quick footsteps grew louder outside Ana’s door. She shook her head as a huge smile formed on her face while she counted, “3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .”
Varrick, Ana’s little brother, burst into the room and leaped onto her lap. Ana let out a fake groan and giggled.
“Well, hello to you, too. How’s my little man?” She ran her fingers through his hair as he smiled and eyed her with wonder.
Varrick blew a puff of air that moved the locks of his hair from his face, and then he nuzzled Ana’s midsection. As usual, Ana found any concerns about what was ahead for her weren’t even a thought when her brother was nearby.
“Play with me.”
Ana snaked her arms around him and touched her forehead to his. “Now? It’s almost mealtime.”
Varrick responded by shifting his weight with some small whimpers. Ana had only been back at home for a week since completing her training, and it wasn’t enough time for Varrick; he hadn’t gotten his fill of playtime with his big sister.
Ana gently shook her brother. “What you wanna play? Warrior Stand? I can show you some moves.”
“Yeah. Show me what Treg does.”
Ana paused for a second. She couldn’t have kept her secret sessions with Treg from Varrick, he knew when she was out after mealtime and before curfew and why. Treg was a fellow resident, but a Warrior Product. He and Ana grew up together, and toward the end of their Product training he had started showing her, in their free time after instruction sessions, a few things he’d learned. It was something Ana wished was more hidden than it had managed to be, with her family knowing about it. They knew it was illegal for a Product to demonstrate any training they’d received during their instruction phase to someone of a different Product registration.
Ana moved onto her knees and wrestled with Varrick. She did a submission move and tipped Varrick, but held him so he was suspended for a few seconds before she let him fall gently to the soft mattress.
“I wanna be a Warrior Product.” Varrick got to his feet, his arms flexed like a fighter.
“Little man, you can’t, remember? We’re Workers, and that’s what we do. One day soon I’ll be sent to a plant and work there.”
“Can I go with you?”
Ana chuckled. “I wish. But you’ve gotta stay with Mom and Dad for now. You’ll start your own training one day, too, ya know.”
“Are you leaving soon?” Varrick’s lip twitched.
“I am, honey. I have to go when they tell me.”
“Why?”
They’d had this conversation before, and every time Ana repeated the rule of the Pairing to him, it got harder for her to explain it without a voice of doubt in her head that wondered, like Varrick did, just why it had to be.
The logical side of Ana knew it was just the law. Violation meant classification as a Deviant and scheduling for discipline, up to Realignment, a cruel chemical alteration that removed all thought processes and left a person a compliant but mindless creature, a Drone Product.
The video screen blared the shrill MODOSNet update tone, which made them both jump. Varrick huddled back on Ana’s bed with her as they watched.
Charista Mantisword, the military leader of Lebabolis, appeared on the screen. She wasn’t the most senior me
mber of the Coursons, but she was the face of the military and the Sentries who enforced the laws of Lebabolis, and the person most Products were familiar with. Her face looked pretty hard, as if it were carved out of a single piece of tree trunk. Steely gray eyes darted about, and she faced the screen as she gave her regular address to the nation. Reports from Charista were mostly about the condition of the border and reports of any attempts at crossing it, either way.
This particular update was more about the Deviants, a listing of counts, by the Sector, of escapees caught, and also showing the disciplinary results for each. It was meant to deter others from considering doing the same thing and trying to break the laws or escape, but for Ana it just made her wonder what was making more people break free? They had a structured life, but there was also food. Weren’t the Outlands much harder? She couldn’t imagine living on her own out there, not knowing when or even what her next meal would be.
Varrick snuggled closer to Ana. “They should help them.”
“Who?”
“The Deviants. Maybe they just want help.”
Ana marveled, despite Varrick’s young age, just how much he thought of others. “Yeah, that would be nice. I guess Charista wants to keep them from hurting other people. Besides, you don’t want to be sent for Realignment for trying to help Deviants, huh?”
Varrick squirmed at the mention of Realignment. “What’s it like?”
Ana paused. She knew exactly what it was like, but she wasn’t ready for Varrick to hear it. It was a subject in their school, and just the idea of what they did to a human freaked her out. She rocked back and forth with Varrick as her mind worked out a version that wasn’t as brutal for a child’s ears. “Well, I heard they inject you with something and it freezes your mind. When it’s over, you can still walk and talk, move around and carry things, but you can’t speak and you don’t even know who you are.”
Varrick lay still against Ana. “I wouldn’t know you?”
“No. It’s real bad.”
“I don’t want that.”
Ana nuzzled Varrick until his soft hair tickled her nose. “Me either, little man. But we have to do our work and build a stable world for Lebabolis. It’s not fun, but it’s important. And you know what, one thing we can keep doing is dreaming. They haven’t been able to stop that, except for the Link.” The Links were new, but spread quickly throughout Lebabolis. No longer satisfied with the information sent to citizens through the video screens, the next version of MODOSNet relied on implanted chips within the brains of Lebabolis’s fair Products. Ana received hers toward the end of her training, but she was told it wouldn’t be activated until she began her work assignment.
Charista’s face became animated more when she talked about the tech advancements. Varrick pointed to the screen. “She’s mean.”
Ana kissed Varrick’s head as she rocked back and forth while they studied one of their fiercest leaders. “Mmm, yeah. I wonder how old she is.”
“She’s grown up. She’s like 80.”
Ana let loose with a cackle. “Eighty? Come on, you’re just being silly.”
“No, she is.”
Ana pulled Varrick into a bear hug, enough that she saw the mirthful grin on his face. In response, her fingers poked Varrick’s midsection a bit. He squirmed and giggled. “I was just thinking, I may not have a whole lot more chances for this, so I better get to it while I can.” With that, Ana tickled Varrick roughly. His giggles burst into squeals of laughter and delight as he flung himself about on Ana’s lap, but her grip held firm.
“Try all you want, there’s no escape!” Ana added a menacing enough fake growl to her playful antics. The only thing that stopped them was their mother’s voice.
“Now why couldn’t I have recorded this?” Emily stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips and a huge smile on her face. Ana lifted Varrick up and as Emily reached for him, she stopped short. “Oooh, you feel a little warm, baby.”
“We were just playing.” Ana shrugged.
Emily’s eyes were shrouded with worry as they met Ana’s. “Uh huh, but what about the other two times last week?” She set Varrick down and they made their way to the dining room.
Mealtime consisted of a selection of rations from Lebabolis. The provisions were small, but enough so they weren’t hungry. Emily watched Varrick to make sure he ate, and then she asked Ana, “Have you heard about your assignment?”
“No, but it’s supposed to be anytime now.” She sighed.
Ana’s father Jordan leaned back in his chair. His body had been sculpted by years of hard labor in a fabrication plant. He folded his hands behind his head, and his wiry arms looked like they were about to thrust his own head down onto the table. He and Ana said nothing for a moment, just traded glances. His eyes showed a lot of concern for Ana, and Ana figured this was just part of the letting-go process for a parent. She wondered how she’d be when it was her time to send her own kids away.
Ana studied the package of rations in front of her. Sector 3 produced the food that all of Lebabolis ate. Ana wondered just how that one Sector managed to get all that food for them and the rest of Lebabolis day after day, with no interruption. Like clockwork, shipments were distributed through the Central Depot in each Sector to all Products.
Ana eyed Jordan. “Is it normal to feel odd about this?”
Jordan shrugged. “Of course. Don’t worry, it’s an adjustment, just like you not being here will be for us.”
“I still get these feelings, sometimes. Not sure about this whole idea.”
Emily shrugged. “Change isn’t easy. But remember, you’ve got to go along with what they’ve set up. The Product system exists for a reason. You don’t want to be labeled as a Deviant, do you?”
“At least we have this one to keep us company for a while longer.” Jordan squeezed Varrick’s arm before he turned back to the monitor. “Speaking of Deviants, the other day at Central Depot I heard talk about a raid at one of the Sectors.”
“What kind of talk?” Ana asked.
Jordan’s eyes widened a bit, as if he’d forgotten for a moment that it wasn’t just Emily in the room with him. He eyed Ana. “Oh, mostly just rumors. I was on a run for the rations and heard some talk at one of the loading platforms.”
Emily threw Jordan a worried look. “Dear, you know there’s plenty that gets said around there that’s not the least bit true.”
“I know.” Jordan shrugged.
Ana looked at both of her parents, they said nothing for a bit after that and the subject festered in the room like a buzzing insect. “Come on, Dad, what happened?”
Jordan shut his eyes. “I’d heard it had something to do with Baudricort.” The name hung in the air like the scent of burned bread. Baudricort was a leading system architect, who had designed a great number of systems for Lebabolis, including MODOSNet, the nationwide tool that allowed all citizens to be tracked and served regularly. He wasn’t ever seen on the video updates, but he was certainly the power behind the throne, of sorts. And Products in Lebabolis knew his name, although it wasn’t often spoken.
It was more of a topic of late because for the past several months Baudricort had been among the missing. Even stranger was that he never showed up in a border search, while Charista made a regular point of announcing them on the updates. Everyone knew he was either dead, escaped to the Outlands, or was for the moment hidden very successfully somewhere in Lebabolis.
Emily shook her head. “If he isn’t dead, he will be as soon as he shows his face.”
“Or maybe he got with the Action. Did you hear anything about that?” Ana asked.
“Now that’s a subject we definitely shouldn’t discuss.” Emily leveled a glare both at Ana and Jordan. The Action was the underground resistance to Lebabolis. Ana had only heard whispers and rumors about them, but even those had a way of propagating, like forgotten weeds that grew between the cracks of a stone. Enough people knew about the Lebabolis Resistance to make it some unknown specter that waite
d and watched from the shadows for the right time to appear. Ana had heard about it back in her training. Updates claimed it was contained. Ana wondered.
“If there is an Action, there won’t be for long,” Jordan said as he chewed on a slice of meat.
Ana thought about it, and how her parents both seemed uneasy at all this. She felt that if Products knew about these rumors, the Coursons would’ve known more. And wouldn’t it have been better if they just talked about the rumors in the open so everyone knew what was really happening? “Why don’t they ever share that information on the updates, Dad?” Ana asked.
Jordan stared at the monitor on the wall near them. His eyes darted back to Ana, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he returned to his meal and tapped the table so Varrick stopped playing with his food.
Emily eyed Jordan and waited for him to respond to his daughter. When he held silent, she shrugged and eyed Ana. “Maybe they don’t want to give those people strength by acknowledging them. You’re going to have to learn—I thought it would’ve come up in your school—but sometimes giving your enemies notice is just what they want to get stronger.”
“It just makes me wonder why he left. You think maybe he found the Valkyrie?” asked Ana, but Jordan responded with a stern gaze. Ana regretted the mention of that name, but her curiosity was too great. The problem was the only thing more forbidden to be mentioned than Baudricort was the Valkyrie. It was a distant memory for some, a more familiar one for older Products. The stories about how the Valkyrie kept Lebabolis safe went from recent history to folklore to contraband in a matter of generations.
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