“Humans born from dust to dust, we must return to the earth to honor her. We draw from the earth to give to the earth. From dirt and mud new life will come.”
“That's more than mud,” Siki whispered to Vin, wrinkling her nose.
Vin could smell it too. Of course most of the earth now was mud, shit, and muck.
The robed man stepped away from the couple and the man and woman kissed, their hands sliding across each other's bodies, smearing the substance into hair and all orifices until they were completely covered. Then the man lifted the woman, who wrapped her legs around his waist. From the expressions on their faces and the tilt of their bodies, Siki knew they were screwing.
The robed man turned towards them again. “I see you carry the new life,” he said to Siki. Embarrassed, she nodded her head. Vin glanced at her, but said nothing. “You must be anointed by the earth to bring forth good life.”
No,” Siki heard herself say. “The life already is. There is no good or bad in this life.”
He turned to Vin. “Are you the seed?”
There was a pause, then Vin said in a tight voice, “No.” He glanced at Siki, then continued. “My son is.”
CHAPTER 7
I just stared at Vin, mouth open when he said that. What the hell was he saying? I hoped he was just saying the words as a way to distract the Riders' leader. My stomach lurched and all I could do was throw up.
“Can we talk about this?” Vin asked later after they were shown to a small hut they could share. However, a guard was placed outside the door, preventing them from leaving.
Siki's shock had worn off, but she was still dazed. “So it's true? Maharg is your son?”
Vin nodded his head and reached out to touch her shoulder. She jerked away from him. “Don't... not right now... please,”
He lowered his hand, the expression on his face defenseless.
“Luna, the woman who owned me, he's her son. Very early in our relationship. Of course, he was taken from her as an infant since she was privileged. She wanted him indoctrinated. I had no say in the matter. I was just seed.”
She heard the pain in his voice. “Does he know?”
“No, I don't think so. Usually the youth are not told of their parentage. They are taught not to care. You and I are old enough to have memories of another way of life. To us, it does matter. Nowadays, they are just soldiers. When I was freed and got into a decent position, I kind of had a friend hack in and follow him every so often – not often, maybe once or twice a year. I never told Luna. He isn't my only kid, but the only one Luna and I had.”
She didn't know why the information hurt, especially the fact that he had had other children. Maybe it was because of her inability to breed, or maybe...
No, don't think of that.
No, she couldn't get attached. She had survived the Shafts by not getting involved with others, without caring.
But its too late for that, isn't it?
Yes, she had to admit, she did care for Vin. Probably too much. The crazy situations they had suddenly been thrown into had taught her to trust him, and the only way she could trust him was to connect to him.
“The others are just citizens,” he continued. “A couple have disappeared. One I am pretty certain was killed by the Regs.”
“How can you be unconcerned about them?”
“I'm concerned, but there is nothing I can do. I can't do anything for Maharg either. I … just feel a stronger tie to him. I was there when he was born. The others were just – duty. I was a one-night-stand at best. I didn't know the women and didn't really care. Then.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“What good would it do?”
“Why did you tell them?”
He glanced aside. “I – I don't know. It just – came out. I guess I wanted you to know, but didn't know how to approach it. 'Hey, you know that guy that raped you, imprisoned you, and then implanted a baby in you, and almost killed me? Guess what? He's my son'.”
She thought back to her first encounter with Maharg. “So, when we were all together there, you knew?”
Vin sighed. “Yes, of course.” He didn't say anything else.
She shook her head, dismissing the subject. She walked to the small window and stared out of it. “What do you think is going to happen now?”
He came up behind her, but did not touch. She could, however, feel his breath on her neck. “I don't know. My guess is that they'll try again to convert us. Or maybe they'll sacrifice us,” he said with a smirk, trying to lighten the conversation
Siki didn't laugh or even crack a smile.
That night they slept apart. They had been spending nights huddled close together without touching as a way to preserve body heat, but that wasn't as necessary in the hut. Vin knew, though, that it was due more to the facts that had been revealed rather than not having to shiver all night.
They awoke to the sound of helicopter blades. They looked at each other. They both knew the only ones who had such transportation were the Regs.
“We've been sold out,” Vin said, getting to his feet.
“Fuck!” Siki exclaimed.
Just then the door opened and the two guards approached then. Vin crouched in an almost feral position, prepared to jump them. But when three more people with weapons followed them into the hut and Vin could see more outside the door, his stance loosened. Siki fingered the gun in her pocket still, but decided not to expose it. It might come in handy later.
They were cuffed with their hands in front and escorted under armed guard to the helicopter. They did not protest, not with so many people surrounding them. The man in the yellow robe stood by the door of the helicopter. “You should have accepted our offer,” he said. “We could have kept you safe.”
“Some protection,” Vin said. “They would have found us, or you would have sold us out anyways when you were disappointed in us.”
“So few can carry life now,” the robed man said. “We would have protected all had it not been unholy.”
It suddenly dawned on Vin. “You assholes,” he hissed. “She is not my son's mother!”
The guards loaded them into the helicopter. They took their seats, across from each other. Siki was glad she could at least look at him, since they were not allowed to talk. Many times she could read his expression, but at the moment it was blank, almost defeated. As the helicopter ascended, Vin closed his eyes and appeared to doze.
Siki watched him, concerned. Vin had never been one to give up. Even while he to had been injured he had silently fought to build his strength. To see him so broken was heartbreaking. She realized now he had been her hero, her champion as Maharg had snidely remarked. Maybe now it was her turn to return the favor.
A few hours later she felt the helicopter descending. The change in altitude and the change of the whine of the chopper blades woke Vin. She gazed at him, hoping he could read the message in her eyes. He face remained curiously blank.
When the chopper was a few dozen meters off the ground, she retrieved the gun from her pocket.
“JUMP!” she yelled at Vin, then shot the pilot and the guards.
At the sound of the gunshots, Vin bailed for the door, hauling it open as best he could with his cuffed arms. The ground was coming up fast and he felt Siki behind him. “Jump!” she yelled again.
He jumped. She was right behind him
He broke his landing as best as he could and leaned to steady Siki who had landed right beside him. The chopper crashed a few yards away from the reinforced landing pad, spewing dust and debris in the air, as well as fuel and flames after the propeller stuck in the muck. They could hear swearing and yelling from the guards a few yards away. Siki and Vin started running, one after the other. Siki tried to take a few shots at the guards, but it was almost impossible to do while shackled and running. She did hit one guard in the leg, and he fell in a cloud of dust. She tucked the gun back into her pocket as best she could.
Siki
was irritated that she started panting for air too quickly. It was bad enough trying to keep balance with handcuffs, but being pregnant made it even more difficult. She stumbled and fell to her knees.
Suddenly, out of smoke from the crash, a figure on horseback came at a strong gallop. The figure approached quickly as Vin turned and ran back to help Siki. He knew without a doubt who was on that horse.
He took her by the arm and dragged her along behind him. There was nowhere to go, however. The Wastes were barren, even here, wherever they were.
The rider circled them, toying with them. Vin watched, wild-eyed. Suddenly he felt Siki press something into his hand and knew what he had to do. He held the gun to Siki's head.
“Maharg!” he yelled.
The rider halted his horse in front of them.
“You wouldn't,” Maharg said, peering down coldly at them.
“The hell I wouldn't. She doesn't mean anything to me, but I know what that baby means to you.”
Maharg was silent as he tried to control his mount.
Vin cocked the gun.
“What do you want?” Maharg stated more than asked.
“To be left alone. That's all. Just leave us alone. And transport for us to get to our destination.”
“And what is your destination?”
“Somewhere quiet. Somewhere where we can start over. No interventions.”
“And what do I get out of this?”
“Your superbaby lives. But Siki and I raise it as our own. No indoctrinations.”
“Why do you care about the child?”
Now it was Vin's turn to remain quiet. “It''s personal,” he said finally.
“So you do care about her, at least from the same standpoint as I do. For the child's sake.”
Vin realized he had just made a gigantic tactical error.
CHAPTER 8
Vin and Maharg stared each other down, each waiting for the other to break, to look elsewhere. Only a small cry from Siki made them both look at her in alarm.
“I think the baby just kicked,” she said softly, cradling her stomach. Vin held her tighter.
Maharg dismounted. “Look,” he said after a moment. “This has got to end. We both know you will not kill her. She is as important to you as she is to me. I propose a different method to solve this. An old-fashioned duel. To the death. You have a gun, I have a gun. You survive, you go free and I take your names off the Most Wanted list. I survive, I get the baby and Siki goes into my personal Breeding Program. Simple enough.”
Vin swallowed hard. He glanced down at Siki who nodded slightly. “All we can do is try to escape and run again. At least this is a real solution.” she said.
“Yea,” Vin grumbled. “Played with my life.”
“And his. And right now my life too. If I have to go into the Breeding Program again – especially his – I will kill myself.”
Vin squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. “Okay,” he finally said, and lowered the gun from Siki's temple. “I understand. Maharg!” he called. “Let's duel.”
Siki kissed Vin's cheek with tears in her eyes. She didn't wish him luck or say anything. There was no such thing as luck in her experiences. Or if there was, she felt she certainly only had the bad kind. She backed off slowly, unable to keep her eyes off of him.
When she was an adequate distance away, Vin and Maharg faced off. They inspected each other's weapons. Vin's face was unreadable and Siki wondered what was going through his mind. She glanced at Maharg to see his face a copy of Vin's. What goes through your mind when faced with possible death?
Maharg and Vin stood back-to-back. “Ten paces, turn, and fire. I'll call off the paces.”
“I guess I have to trust you won't turn at five paces,” Vin mumbled.
Maharg turned his head. “I could say the same of you, also. However, as a Regulator – as a soldier – I do have honor.”
“That doesn't mean much to me,” Vin muttered.
There was silence as hey both prepared their weapons and settled their stance. Then, it began.
“Alright, ready? ONE... TWO... THREE... FOUR... FIVE... SIX... SEVEN... EIGHT... NINE... TEN!”
BAM! BANG!
Siki watched horrified as they paced off. She wanted to turn away, but was unable to do so. She watched, flicking her thumbnail against her front tooth – her nervous habit – as they turned, and fired almost simultaneously.
And cried and ran to him as Vin crumpled to the ground.
“YOU BASTARD!” She shouted at Maharg, tears in her eyes as she gathered Vin's head onto her lap. Quickly, she checked the wound in his chest. It was a little high, but she had no idea if that was good or bad. But she did note he was still breathing, though erratically.
Maharg approached them warily. Siki was crying copiously, and he wondered if she even knew she was doing so. Vin lay sprawled, but with his head on her lap. There was blood on the muck and on Vin's clothing. Maharg could not tell if he was still bleeding, or even if he was still alive.
“He's breathing,” she said in between sobs. She looked up at Maharg, pleadingly. “You have to help him.”
Maharg stood upright, defensive. “It was to the death,” he stated.
Siki shook her head hard. “Help him!” she pleaded again.
Maharg said nothing.
Frantic, Siki grabbed the gun laying next to Vin's body. “You fucking help him,” she said, aiming the gun at him.
Maharg laughed. “What good would shooting me do? You can't get anywhere. There are thousands of soldiers just a few hundred meters away. There's nowhere to hide on the Wastes.”
Her hand wavered. She knew he was right.
She put the gun to her head instead.
“And don't think I won't do it,” she said. “There's no reason for me to live.”
Maharg knew she was right. If Vin died and she lived, the baby would be taken from her and indoctrinated. She would enter the Breeding Program again – his personal Breeding Program – and though she would be taken care of, there would be no freedom. She'd had a taste of being on the outside now – even if in the Wastes – and knew what it was like to be able to go anywhere and do anything.
Her index finger slipped down onto the trigger.
Without a word, Maharg took the gun from her hand, picked up Vin's lifeless body, tossed it over his horse's flank in front of the saddle, and mounted. He wheeled the horse around, and spurred him into a quick trot towards the base, leaving Siki alone to walk up to the gate.
* * *
The guards saw her approaching and intercepted. Maharg had told them she would be coming, and if she hadn't appeared in an hour, to hunt her down. For once, she was happy to see the soldiers. She was exhausted, hurting physically and emotionally, and extremely anxious for any news on Vin. When she inquired, though, the guards claimed to know nothing.
She was blindfolded and escorted to the infirmary. They left her in a small conference room. She did note that one guard was left outside the door. There was little she could do now, however. She was weaponless and too tired to attempt to break away. She could have done that when left alone on the Wastes had she wanted to. She could not abandon Vin, however.
Thankful for a small couch in the room, she curled up on it and tried to sleep. Her mind was racing with possibilities to be able to sleep. What if Vin died? She would wait until the baby was born and then kill herself, she decided. The child should have life, even if it was with the Regs. But what if he lived? Since there had been no compromise made on the contingency of Maharg and Vin both surviving, they would have to re-negotiate. Or she and Vin could try to run again. The odds of escaping the base were minimal, however. Too many soldiers, too much land, and too high a border fence – electrified and razor-wired. No Shafts here in which to hide. And she had no idea what the layout of the base was like.
It had to stop at some point.
Siki was just dozing off when the door opened. A man in dark surgical scrubs and a darker lab coat entered the room,
consulting the tablet he held. Siki released a quiet sigh of relief. She did not want to face Maharg at this point. However, she knew he was nearby, perhaps just outside the door.
The man glanced at her and immediately saw her condition and grinned. “A Breeder, eh? Show me your tits and you can have the report.”
Siki recoiled. It had been a long time since she had been treated so harshly. She recalled why she had liked the Shafts better – there was no respect, but there was no lack of respect either. They had all in a bad situation down there – even Vin.
She crossed her arms across her chest. “I am not a Breeder anymore,” she said.
The alleged doctor snorted. “You're a woman and you're pregnant. You're just meat,” he dismissed her. He stepped over to her, grabbed her arms and ripped her shirt open. “Damn, those are nice,” he said ogling her tits.
Siki gritted her teeth. She would endure his behavior if it meant getting news on Vin. However, if he tried touching anything, he would get a boot to the balls.
She tightened reflexively as the doctor's hands caressed her, squeezed the softness and tweaked the nipples. At one point, his tongue briefly touched them. She readied her leg to kick, but after a few minutes, he flipped her shirt closed as well as he could and he retreated. She sighed again with relief.
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