The group rode mostly in silence until they arrived at a small building. “This is us,” The Senator said.
They all got out of the car and looked at the building. “This isn’t the Mayoral Hall mother,” Blake said. Looking around, this was the complete opposite of what Taia expected.
She thought they would be meeting in an area similar to that of the Senator’s home. Or even that of the area that she had first encountered when she entered the city. This area looked more similar to the park that she and Eli had walked to the night before.
“We aren’t meeting the Prime Minister at my place of employ today,” Isla said. “They are prepping it for the ball and don’t want any outsiders in.”
“But surely the Prime Minister could get in if he wanted to,” Blake said. “I mean, it is him.”
“Yes,” Isla said. “But he also did not want to meet there. The Prime Minister has other pleasures that he would like to see fulfilled today.”
Isla then began walking towards the small building. Taia read the sign that was on the building “LIVE PLAYS (Humans, No Abilities)”
Isla walked into the building first. The lobby of the building reflected its exterior.
None of the technology that was so prevalent in the city was here. Taia did not know what to expect when Isla said ‘pleasures’ in regards to the Prime Minister, but this was not it. This lobby seemed somewhat familiar to Taia.
“This is a theatre,” she said surprised. The theatre’s carpet was old and worn. And at the desk was a young man looking terrified. A very attractive young woman came up to the group.
“The Prime Minister is waiting for you in there,” The young woman said, pointing to a door that had “Theatre 1” labeled above it.
Following the girl, they all walked toward the door. When the door was opened, Taia looked at what was inside. The theatre was mostly empty and there was a play being acted out on the stage. It looked familiar, she thought she had read about it in one of her old books from before the Outbreak. Something about a boy and a girl being in love and both of them ending up dead.
“Eli Proof,” Taia looked to the sound of the voice that had spoken. It was a man sitting in the very last row of the theatre. He was not even watching what was occurring on the stage. Instead he was reading something off of an electronic tablet.
The man was wearing a slim navy blue pinstripe suit. He had an orange tie on accompanied with a black shirt. The man had a clean shaven face but a head full of blond, clean cut hair arranged in a meticulous cut. He looked like he could be no older than 30.
“Prime Minister,” Eli said. But that couldn’t be right. Eli had said that the Prime Minister had been serving for 45 years. This guy was a young man.
“You always have such an energy about you Eli,” The Prime Minister said never looking up from his tablet.
Isla cleared her throat. “Prime Minister,” she began. She was completely different than any of the other moments that Taia had been around her. She seemed to be much more docile and meek when speaking to this man “Is there anywhere we can go to talk privately?”
“We will stay here,” The Prime Minister said calmly.
Isla pursed her lips but did not say anything to the Prime Minister. “Children, get out.”
“Nonsense,” the Prime Minister said calmly, still reading his tablet. “Have a seat. I am not in Carthage often, but when I do come here, I enjoy these little plays.”
Eli and Taia shared a look before they sat in a row directly in front of the Prime Minister with Blake. The Senator was fuming and stayed standing.
“We Transcended,” The Prime Minister said. “Sometimes forget that we were once human. We are merely the evolved version of Homo sapiens. Originally, when humans started evolving and transcending in to Transcendeds, they said that they were becoming super. But like when the Homo sapiens evolved from the Homo erectus, one species became the dominant one.”
Taia could feel herself beginning to sweat. She was 8 feet away from someone who was supposed to be the most powerful man in the world. She was terrified. Eli grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
“But even with that said,” The Prime Minister stated, never looking up from his tablet. “Homo Sapiens had a lot of beautiful contributions to the world.”
Sitting down next to him Isla said “Mr. Prime Minister—“
The Prime Minister continued talking “We can’t forget that. Let’s take this play for instance. It’s a beautiful piece of playwright and literature. And those humans on stage are really selling the story.”
He finally looked up from his tablet and stared at the stage “But it also shows the fragility of human life. Humans are weak. They cannot compare to us. You have to evolve to survive. And those that are still humans, have not evolved.”
The Prime Minister turned and looked at Isla “Now Madam Senator. What is so important that you felt the need to beg for an audience with me when I am taking time to myself?”
Isla swallowed. “Well sir,” she said. “As you know, I have been trying to institute a policy that will make the Regime more aggressive in pursuing the factions of humanity that are not yet under our control. But because of the money it would take and how thin it would spread the Core—“
“Why?” The Prime Minister interrupted. “Why would we do that? What’s the point?”
Isla was confused. “I’m sorry?” she asked.
“What’s the point of us doing that?” The Prime Minister asked. “How would that benefit the Regime in any way?”
Taia could feel herself silently hyperventilating. She tried slowing her breathing to get in under control.
“Well those humans are undermining us,” The Senator said.
“Are they?” the Prime Minister asked. “Every day we spend our own money on these human camps that we’re operating to keep humans under our control. And you want to spend more money and attack humans that are doing what we would already do with none of our money.”
“But they’re not in our control,” Isla exclaimed. “They’re a danger to us.”
The Prime Minister let out a hollow laugh. “Please,” he said. “That is like saying an antelope is a danger to a lion. The human Resistance hasn’t attacked the Regime in decades.”
“That’s not true Prime Minister!” Isla said excitedly.
For the first time, the Prime Minister looked up from reading his tablet. “Are you calling me a liar?” The Prime Minister asked monotonously.
Isla froze “N-No sir.”
Suddenly the Prime Minster slapped her across the face. Blake leapt out of his seat toward the Prime Minister but he stood up and grabbed Blake by the throat. Taia made to get up but Eli grabbed her by the wrist and made her stay in her seat. He looked absolutely petrified.
Looking at Blake, Taia could see that there was something wrong with him. His face was turning green and he looked like he was about to vomit.
“Attacking me is a crime punishable by death boy,” The Prime Minister said calmly. His assistant’s eyes were wide, she was smiling manically. “And that’s what I am doing. I am killing you. I am pumping enough nuclear radiation into your body that you’ll soon be dead.”
“Mr. Prime Minister,” Eli said standing up in the dark theatre. The Prime Minister’s assistant tensed up. “Please. I must ask you to let him go. Bartholomew is just reckless sometimes and he was worried for his mom. He meant no offense.” Taia looked at Blake’s mother. She was not saying anything. She didn’t even look worried for her son.
The Prime Minister looked at Eli before flashing a dazzling smile with his perfect white teeth at Blake. “I suppose that you were defending your mother,” he then sighed and let Blake go. The Prime Minister then sat back down in his seat and crossed his legs as Blake fell to his knees and coughed wildly, trying to catch his breath.
“Now what were you saying Senator?” The Prime Minister asked. “And I believe you may want to phrase what you say next very carefully.”
&
nbsp; Without a glance at her son the Senator took a deep breath and spoke “What I meant Prime Minister, is that I don’t think you’ve been informed, but yesterday, a group of Core officers were attacked and killed.”
Eli helped Blake to his feet and they both sat down.
“You don’t think I know what’s going on in my own country?” The Prime Minister asked.
“N-No,” The Senator stammered. “That’s not what I—“
“I know what you meant,” The Prime Minister interrupted. He then sighed. “I know that happened to those Core Officers. Poor souls. But what makes you think that it was the Resistance that did it?”
“I’m sorry Mr. Prime Minister—“
The Prime Minister interrupted her again. “Humans haven’t attacked us in years. We haven’t even heard much about the Resistance in decades. But you’re insisting that the Resistance was capable of taking out 5 of our best Transcendeds. If that’s the case, you need to spend this money that you’re requesting on training the Core, not hunting down the Resistance.”
Anger filled Taia. This guy was so arrogant. Eli had told her that the Regime felt that the Resistance was absolutely no threat but the Prime Minister was speaking like he didn’t even give them a second thought.
“But sir,” Isla said. “The autopsy showed that the officers were killed by bullets. And there were unregistered humans bodies at the scene.”
“Ah,” The Prime Minister said. “But they were dead too weren’t they? It was clear by the reports given to me that our officers killed those humans. So how is it that the humans killed them?”
“Well they had to,” Isla insisted. “They must’ve killed each other. The bullets—“
The Prime Minister laughed. “Bullets? What does that mean? Humans don’t even use bullets anymore.”
“I don’t understand,” Isla replied. “So what are you saying?”
Shrugging, the Prime Minister said “I’m saying none of it makes any sense. You’re suggesting that just because those men were ridden with bullets, the humans killed them. But no guns with bullets were recovered at the scene, only energy guns were. So it’s not possible that the Resistance were the ones that killed my soldiers. Whoever did do it, is still alive and out there.”
“Then who was it?” Isla asked.
Taia and Eli shared a short glance at one another before looking forward at the play. They tried their best to seem interested in it.
“That’s none of your concern Senator,” The Prime Minister said, seemingly bored. “Just trust that I know who is responsible and they will be dealt with appropriately.”
But that was impossible. If the Prime Minister knew that Eli and Taia were responsible for the death of those Core officer’s deaths, then they would be dead right now.
“I-I understand sir.” Isla began, struggling to find the right words. “And naturally, I trust your judgement concerning this matter. But shouldn’t we go after the Resistance with more effort simply based off the merit that they tried to attack us?”
This was a valid point and it made Taia nervous. Her people couldn’t afford to be attacked by the full might of the Regime.
“Does a Lion chase after a fly when it lands on its mane?” The Prime Minister asked. “Humans are not a threat to us. They outnumber us 8 to 1 and can still do nothing to us. I will not waste funds and lives fighting a pointless war.”
The Prime Minister spoke with finality and Isla Gates understood this. There was nothing that she could say to make the Prime Minister join her cause. And it was clear that there was no way that she was going to push the subject.
“Well,” she said timidly standing up. “Thank you for meeting me Prime Minister. I am sorry if I bothered you or interrupted your day at all. Please take care, I hope to see you again soon.” She then stuck out her hand but the Prime Minister did not say anything. He just kept looking at his tablet reading.
Eyes wide and obviously angry Isla stalked out of the theatre. “Children!” she said hurriedly.
All 3 of them got out of their seats and began rushing to the theatre exit.
“Mr. Proof.”
Eli froze in his tracks and turned around and looked at the Prime Minister.
“I let you out of the Core Mr. Proof,” The Prime Minister said, not turning around to look at Eli. “But everyone has to serve the Regime in his or her own way. Your time will come when the Regime needs your skills Captain. You’re special. You know that.”
Eli nodded. “Yes sir.” He then left out of the theatre with his friends and into the lobby.
“What did he mean by that?” Taia whispered to Eli. “What did he mean you were special?”
“Everybody is special,” Eli whispered back.
A teenager that worked for the theatre who looked like he could be around Taia’s age ran in front of the group to open the door.
The teen muttered something under his breath. Isla froze and turned around.
“What did you just say?” she asked.
The boy was shocked. “Nothing. Nothing ma’am.”
“Do you think that you can speak to me any kind of way you human trash?” Then out of nowhere the Senator swung her right arm at the boy, slashing his throat. The boy fell to the ground choking on his own blood. The Senator’s hand looked as if it had grown claws.
Taia gasped and put her hands to her mouth.
“God!” Eli exclaimed in shock.
“Mother!” Blake said. “What are you doing?!”
“He was a human, I will pay the weight of the man.” Isla said calmly.
“He had a life mom!” Blake said. “It was bad enough you were about to let that man kill me, but to kill someone else!”
“That man,” Isla said angrily. “Is the Prime Minister of the Regime. He is the strongest person in the world. More Transcended than anyone. You were a fool to attack him. If he killed you, you would have deserved it.”
“I was saving your life!” Blake exclaimed.
“Oh you couldn’t save anything,” Isla said dismissively. “With your teleporting. Your father would be ashamed of you!”
“His father would be proud!” Eli said angrily at the Senator. It was clear that Eli had enough. “You attacked an innocent boy Senator. A boy with a family. With a home. And you should be ashamed of yourself,” Eli then grabbed Taia and got in the limo. Blake quickly followed, while his mother went inside to presumably pay for the life of the young boy.
Not saying a word, the Senator got into the limo and began putting directions into the control panel. Taia could still not get over how different the Senator acted around the Prime Minster than compared to everyone else. He frightened her.
“I think I should get Taia home, Senator,” Eli said. He had already had reserves about this endeavor. Now he definitely wasn’t having any of this after she killed a human in front of him.
“Nonsense,” The Senator said as if nothing had just transpired and kept putting in directions. Soon the vehicle had taken off.
Eli looked over at Blake to try and wordlessly tried to communicate something with him but Blake was in his own little world, looking sad, his smile that seemed to be always there nowhere in sight, pondering the events of the day. After a while, the limo stopped.
“Come on,” Isla said.
They all got out of the car. Looking around, these surroundings were much more familiar to Taia. They were now in the part of the city that she and Eli had been when they entered the city.
“A restaurant?” Eli asked looking up at the building they had stopped in front of. “But we aren’t hungry. I really think that Taia needs to get home. “
“No,” the Senator said. “I need you at the ball. Especially without the Prime Minister’s support.”
Isla then walked into the restaurant with everyone else following behind her.
When she got into the restaurant, a wave of confusion washed over Taia as it seemed to always do whenever she encountered something new in Carthage. The restaurant was beaut
iful and very crowded but it was nothing but a large open room with tables and chairs with people sitting at them. The only thing other in the restaurant was a sign saying where the restrooms were. There was nowhere that seemed to lead to a kitchen
A hostess led them to a table where the Senator promptly excused herself to use one of the restrooms.
“Are you okay?” Eli frantically asked his best friend as soon as Isla had left.
“I’m good,” Blake said.
“What did he do to you?” Taia asked. “And why is your mom so scared of him? I thought she was strong.”
“She is strong,” Eli said. “But not as strong as him. He’s a nuclear weapon. A living nuclear weapon. Human beings’ strongest weapon, a Supe became. It’s why the Resistance really stands no chance.”
Taia’s mouth was hanging open in shock. “You can’t be serious.”
“No, Eli is telling the truth,” Blake said.
“But then what was he doing to you?” Taia asked. “He didn’t make you explode like a bomb.”
“He manipulates nuclear radiation,” Blake said. “That’s what he did. He infected me with a little bit of nuclear radiation. He has perfect control over his abilities so his powers range from being able to infect someone with a little nuclear radiation to being able to create a nuclear blast big enough to take out an entire region.”
“And the more radiation he absorbs from other things, the stronger he is,” Eli explained. “It’s why he looks so young. The guy is over 70 years old. He absorbs old nuclear weapons and reactors and it makes him strong and young. Rumor has it, it can even cure him from any disease. It’s like his own personal brand of medicine.”
Now Taia understood why the Senator and boys were so scared of the Prime Minister. He was a monster.
Becoming Super Page 11