The Genesis Sequence
Books 6-10
Mackenzie Morris
Children of the Revolution
Copyright © 2015 by Mackenzie Morris
Death of Amity
Copyright © 2016 by Mackenzie Morris
Fracture of Reality
Copyright © 2016 by Mackenzie Morris
Gathering of Allies
Copyright © 2016 by Mackenzie Morris
End of the War
Copyright © 2016 by Mackenzie Morris
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Children of the Revolution
The Genesis Sequence
Book Six
Chapter 1
The key jiggled in the lock while blue raspberry slushy melted against the back of Rav's neck. He pushed the wooden door open to peer into the shoddy yet homely one bedroom apartment. From the doorway, he could see the living room with the tan carpet and ragged sofa, the small kitchen with a rusted oven, and the bedroom with a single bare mattress on the floor. When he flipped the light switch, two giant white cockroaches hissed then scurried up the cracked beige walls. It admittedly was not the best place to live in Darkshot City, the most technologically advanced human colony, but it was the only place he could afford.
Rav picked the thin blond boy up from his shoulders then set him down on the matted shag carpet. "Well? What do you think? Welcome home, Nemo."
Nemo ran to the sofa and jumped on the pink plaid cushions. He stretched his tiny arms and legs out as he smiled from ear to ear, his lips stained blue from his sticky drink. "It's the best!" The boy spotted the old plasma screen television in the corner and his pale green eyes lit up with excitement. "A T.V.!"
"Yep. It's really old, but I'm sure Darkshot has cartoons."
"Can I watch?"
"In a bit. We have some things to tend to first." Rav locked the door then dropped their duffle bags to the floor. He had to make sure that the boy bouncing on his sofa was indeed the correct one. "Nemo, take your shoes off so I can check your feet."
Nemo kicked his green sneakers off then held up his bare feet. "Feet check!"
Rav sat next to his son and took him by his bony ankles. He studied the soles of his feet, searching for the black numbers like the others. Nothing. "All clear."
"Yay! I told you I wasn't a clone. Daddy, what are we gonna do with the boy on the ship who looked like me?"
"He has been sent to the authorities on Elysia. Any more we find will be sent there as well. Don't worry about that clone. You are the real Nemo Tillman, not the one I killed on Earth and not the one on the ship. That's two we know of. I just have to make sure you're you."
"That clone was mean."
Rav began unpacking their clothes and belongings from the duffle bags and piling them on the arm of the sofa. "So, we need to have a talk about things, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy."
"You were on Star-World Delta with all those warbringers and Krisharn at the execution, right?" Rav asked.
"Yep. He left my cage open and the guard was distracted by the warlord's speech, so I sneaked out. I saw you go into the ship, so I followed you and waited until I knew it was safe to come out. I met my clone in the cargo hold and he bit me."
"And that's why he is being shipped to Elysia where some scientists will figure everything out. None of that matters anymore. The rebellion is over. Everyone is gone. I say we let the Elysian government deal with their war. It's not our fight anymore. We both need some time to relax, rest, and have some fun. It's just me and my buddy. What do you say?"
"Yeah!" Nemo jumped into his lap and held onto him like he was afraid to let go. "Never let them take me again."
"I won't. You aren't going anywhere. Look at me."
Nemo turned his head to face him, but he kept his eyes on the carpet.
"No, look at me. With your eyes. Why are you scared?"
"Krisharn told me not to look people in the eyes."
"You don't answer to him anymore. Only me. Now look at me."
The young boy slowly lifted his eyes until he was staring into those of his father. "Hi."
Rav stroked his hair and smiled. "Hi." But his smile quickly faded as he watched the darkness in those mint green eyes. One word came to mind that described the feeling there. Hollow. What had a six-year-old boy gone through to have such emptiness in his eyes? Rav did not want to know, but he needed to know.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, buddy. Sit on the sofa and answer some questions, okay? After this, you can watch cartoons and eat all the ice cream sandwiches we can find in that vending machine down the hall."
"You promise?" Nemo asked, pouting pathetically.
"Yeah, I promise." He picked the boy up and placed him on the sofa. "Now, these are serious questions that have serious answers. No joking."
"Okay."
"Did Krisharn or anyone else hurt you?"
"Only at punishment time."
Rav's heart sank. "Punishment time? What was punishment time?"
Nemo fidgeted as he spoke. "In the morning . . . after they took me out of my cage . . . they spanked me for being bad. Don't spank me, Daddy. I'm good! I'll be good!"
"Shh, buddy. I know you're good. You're always good. Even if I have to punish you, I will never hurt you. What else did they do to you?"
He shrugged his skinny shoulders and licked the blue syrup from his lips.
Rav then asked the one thing he feared more than anything else that could have come from this. "Did they touch you in a bad place?"
"No."
"Has anyone ever touched you where they shouldn't have?"
"Only that clone that looked like Uncle Vance."
"No one else?"
Nemo shook his head and wrapped his arms around himself and started to cry, his tears dripping down onto his red sweatshirt.
"Nemo?"
The boy held onto Rav as he sobbed and whimpered, his body wracked by trembling.
That confirmed Rav's suspicions. That eerie hollowness could only be a result of the stealing of innocence. "Who did it, Nemo? You are not in trouble. None of this is your fault whatsoever. You didn't do anything wrong. I need to know what happened so I can help you. Why don't we start by you telling me what you did every day?"
Nemo sniffled and dried his eyes on his sleeve. "Okay."
"What happened after punishment time?"
"The guard gave me cereal in my cage."
"Then what?" Rav asked. "Just talk to me. I want to know."
"They left me there with paper and markers so I could draw pictures."
"You've always loved art."
"After that, Krisharn would let me out of my cage and took me down to another place. It was called a soona or something. It was hot."
"A sauna?"
Nemo nodded his head as more tears slid down his pink cheeks. "Yeah. That. There was steam and it was hot and he made me run 'til I was tired. I got sick. One time, I fell asleep. Not good sleep. Then a doctor came."
"Krisharn forced you to run in a sauna?"
"Every day. Then my guard gave me a bath and he'd give me a sandwich in my cage. Then I'd go to sleep."
"You were kept in a cage for a year?" Rav asked, feeling sick.
"
Mmm hmm."
"And where was your cage?"
"Krisharn's bedroom."
Furious rage flashed through Rav's veins. "A perverted alien whose culture says it's law to enslave young boys and give them to warbringers as toys kept you in a cage next to his bed? And you tell me that he didn't do anything inappropriate to you?"
Nemo screamed through his tears as he broke down and became a hysterical mess in his father's arms.
He had enough. They both had. Sighing, Rav picked up his son and carried him into the dark bedroom. He placed Nemo on the mattress then removed his hoodie and covered the boy with it. Once Nemo was a whimpering bundle under the much larger jacket, Rav kissed his forehead and whispered to him. "Get some sleep, buddy. Daddy is right here. I swear that I will never let anyone touch you ever again. I promise. When you get up, we'll order some food."
"They didn't."
"They didn't what?"
"Touch me." Nemo sat up and looked at his father. "I'm not lying."
"Then why do you seem so hollow inside?"
"I did something . . . something bad." Nemo yawned then cuddled up in the middle of the tattered mattress. "Night night, Daddy."
Despite the overwhelming desire to know about everything that had happened, he knew it would be easier for both of them to continue that conversation once the boy had rested. Kissing Nemo's blond messy bangs once more, Rav stood and closed the door to the bedroom before turning this attention to the piles of clothes on the couch. There was a great deal of work to be done in order to make this tiny apartment something resembling a home, but he was ready for the challenge. Here, he could be a father and they could put their lives back together. After all, that's the only thing Rav had wanted. He would mourn those he lost in time. Camille, Leah, Vance, and all the others. But on that rainy evening in his quiet apartment, Rav could only smile. He had his son back. That was all that mattered.
* * *
"Daddy, I'm hungry."
Rav groaned as he sat up from where he had fallen asleep while calculating a budget at the rickety kitchen table. He glanced over at the glowing green numbers of the digital clock above the stove. "It's three in the morning? What are you doing up?"
"I'm hungry." Nemo giggled then reached up to pull a piece of paper from Rav's face. "Ha ha! It stuck on you."
"Thanks. Feet check, Nemo."
The boy held up his left foot then the right one.
"Good boy. Just making sure. We have to do that whenever you've been out of my sight. We can't have any clones trying to take your place, can we?"
"Nope, nope."
With all the money Rav found on Camille's ship and what he was able to sell the spaceship for at an impound yard, they had twenty thousand Dayta Notes to last them until he could get a job in the city. He had originally thought it was a good deal of money, but when he tried to buy Nemo some clothes, he realized how much the man at the impound yard had ripped him off. With the war growing and goods being sent to Elysia for the troops, Dayta Notes had become nearly worthless. The man had noticed that Rav was not from Darkshot, so he had taken advantage of that. Now after paying the first month's rent, Rav was looking at having enough money for four day's worth of food and the first electricity bill. Nothing more.
"What's this?" Nemo picked up the pocket sized notebook and frowned. "Is this your money?"
"Sure is. The apartment cost us more than I thought. Things are going to get tight around here until I can find a job. Plus, there was another expense that I'm making payments on. I can't miss those payments."
"So no food?" The boy's shoulders slumped in his sadness.
"Oh, buddy, no. We'll get you some food. I won't let you go hungry. What do you want? We'll order something. What sounds good? You can have whatever you want. Pizza? Tacos?"
Nemo tossed the notepad on the table then dashed off into the living room. He rummaged through his duffle bag.
"Nemo, what are you looking for?"
The boy ran back and held out his plushy spaceship. "Here."
"What's this for?"
"Food. You can sell it."
That broke his heart. He took Nemo in his arms as tears stung in his eyes. "You are so sweet. Thank you for the offer, but you need your toys. I bought them for you. We will be all right. Take your plushy into the living room and find some cartoons while I order food."
Rav watched his son, not wanting to miss one more moment of fatherhood. Nemo had matured so much in a year and a half. That was time that he could not get back. So, he had to do whatever he could to make up for that lost time. He picked up his brand new communicator and searched for a restaurant nearby. Once he found somewhere with delivery that time of night, he called and ordered. Before he even ended the call, Nemo stomped into the kitchen with his hands on his hips.
"Daddy?"
"What is it?" Rav asked, ending the call.
"What did you order?"
"I got you some chicken nuggets and a salad."
Nemo tugged on Rav's belt loops. "What about you?"
"I'm not eating tonight."
"Why not? I heard your tummy. You're hungry."
"I'll just have whatever you don't eat. I'm going to the Employment Center in the morning to see what I can find. I'll get a job, even if it's as a street cleaner. Whatever I have to do to keep you happy, healthy, and safe. But you don't need to worry about all that. Hey, your cartoons are back on."
Nemo took Rav's hand then spoke with an air of maturity well beyond his six years. "Daddy, you can't take care of me if you're so hungry. You don't have to try so hard to make me happy. I'm happy to be with you. I want you to eat my chicken nuggets with me so you can be happy too."
That melted him. "How did you grow up to be so smart and kind?"
"I'm just like you, Daddy!"
"Then I guess I must have done something right. Come here, you." Rav thew his son over his shoulder and started tickling him as he went into the living room.
Nemo squealed with laughter when he was tossed onto the sofa. "Daddy, stop!"
"Nope." Rav pinned him down and lifted the boy's shirt to blow on his stomach.
"Stop it! You're a meanie! Stop it, meanie!"
Rav continued wrestling with is son, but their playing was serving a greater purpose as well. He had to see how Nemo would react to physical contact. Would he hate it? Would he have trust issues or flashbacks to some instance of abuse? The longer it went on with laughter and giggling not being replaced by crying and horrified screams, the better Rav felt. Maybe Nemo was not as bad off as everyone had feared. Maybe he could have a normal childhood from then on.
When there was a knock at the door, Nemo squirmed out from under Rav's weight and ran to the door. He opened it and waved at the blue metal cube robot that hovered in the hallway with a plastic bag of food hanging from its jagged claws. Nemo took the bag. "Thank you, Mr. Robot."
"We appreciate your business."
Nemo closed the door with his foot then placed the food on the kitchen table. "Come on, Daddy. Dinner time."
"You're so grown up. I'm so proud of you. You go ahead and eat. I'll watch the news. Maybe there will be some jobs posted there. You never know."
"Okay."
Rav flipped through the channels until he found one of the local Darkshot news networks. While he leaned back and listened to the male reporter on the scene of a hovercar accident on the other side of the city, something moved on the sofa next to him. He looked own to see the paper plate piled high with salad and chicken nuggets. "Nemo, please eat at the table so you don't make a mess on the carpet."
"I am. That plate is yours."
"Awe, thanks, buddy. When you're done eating, I have something to discuss with you."
"Am I in trouble?" Nemo asked, munching on a ketchup-drenched chicken nugget.
"Not at all." Rav nibbled on chicken nuggets like he was a child as well, but he only ate two then wrapped up the rest and placed it in the refrigerator for Nemo to have the next day. He had to make su
re Nemo didn't see him or he would make him finish it.
Nemo wiped his face on a paper towel then jumped down from the chair. "Done."
"Come with me." Rav led him into the living room. He turned the television off then opened the inside pocket of his duffle bag and extracted something wrapped tightly in a soft towel.
"What's that?" Nemo asked.
"Something very expensive and very important. Since I missed your sixth birthday, I decided to start making payments on this for you because you need it. You are a young man in a dangerous world. People are coming after you, searching for you. I will do my best to protect you, but sometime you may have to protect yourself. That's why I got you this." Rav unwrapped the towel to reveal the tiny silver derringer pistol with dark green grips.
Nemo gasped and bounced on his toes. "Whoa. A gun?"
"It's a two shot .45 pistol. I will teach you how to use it safely. It's a new model that probably won't kill anyone except for up close, but it will be enough to scare them off. What do you think?"
"Can I hold it?"
"Sure. Actually . . . would you like to fire it? We can start practicing today. These walls are surprisingly thick and we are the only people living in this building . . . which doesn't make me feel any better about this part of the city, but anyway-"
"Let's do it."
"You have to listen to me and do exactly what I say. This is a weapon that can hurt or kill people. Do you understand?"
Nemo nodded his head.
"First rule. Never point this gun at anyone unless you are wanting to kill them. Keep it pointed at the ground when you aren't using it. Oh, and keep the safety on until you are ready to shoot it. Are you ready?"
"Yep."
Rav handed the pistol to Nemo then pointed to the right sofa cushion. "Remove the safety by pressing the button the side then cock it and aim at the middle of the cushion. Do you need my help?"
"No. I got it." Nemo deftly readied the pistol then aimed it at the sofa.
"It's small, but it still kicks. Try holding it with both hands."
"I know, but I don't need both hands."
The Genesis Sequence Books 6-10 Page 1