“Good. You want to see her?”
He nodded and followed her into a small bedroom. Inside the sun-filled room, Ida lay asleep in a hospital bed.
“I swear she smiled yesterday when I read to her,” said Lucy.
“Is that so? Which book?”
“One of yours, actually.” She picked up a book from a bedside table and tossed it to him.
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Yes, a classic. Guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone in a coma.” Gatz smiled as the words came out, but the edges of his mouth quivered. He visited at the same time every day, despite his demanding new responsibilities as mayor of Spark City.
“I’ll leave you to it,” said Lucy, shutting the door behind her. She knew he spoke to Ida and wanted to keep it personal.
Lucy waited for Gatz outside.
“Little did I know I’d be BFFs with the mayor one day,” she said with a smile as he emerged from the house.
He laughed. Being appointed acting mayor in the wake of Vance Drem’s death was no small feat. With his business connections throughout the city and his reputation for integrity, he’d gone up against four other contenders.
After grueling interviews, background investigations, and lie detector tests, he’d emerged victorious. The committee selected him, just barely edging out the others. As the first hybrid mayor of Spark City, he promised to better integrate the hybrids with the community and bring more business and prosperity to all citizens.
“It’s only temporary. In a year, we hold an election,” he said.
“And you’ll run, and the people will vote for you because you’ve kicked ass.”
“I’m a long shot. People still harbor resentment toward my kind.”
“I hope that changes,” she said. “What’s the latest with the investigation?”
“The investigative committee released their report on DremCorp. Now that Vance is dead, they’re going to turn over the droids to the military for testing. His writings were discovered—volumes of technical plans that showed his intention to mass produce the droids to fight the Heavies.”
“He wanted to save us from the Heavies?” she said.
“Yes, it makes him sound admirable, but there’s a catch. Ida was right about the vaccinations. Vance was poisoning the returning soldiers to make them turn violent. The committee determined he’d been trying to turn the public against the returning soldiers so he could replace them with machine soldiers. He had plans to take over the city and assassinate all the politicians, lawmakers, and anyone in his way.
Her eyes grew wide.
“Think how many people would have died if he’d lived,” said Gatz. “The city would be a militarized police state. I just wish Ida were awake to hear how many lives she saved.”
Lucy grasped his hand. “I miss her too.”
He turned away. “Same time tomorrow?”
“Yep, see you then.” She hugged him goodbye and watched him depart. After so much destruction and all they had gone through, Ida still lay unconscious. Would she ever wake up? Lucy wasn’t giving up without a fight.
She went to the garden to retrieve the abandoned flowers. At her feet, a sparrow lay quivering on the ground. It must have hit one of the glass windows.
She scooped up the tiny bird in her palms. Still warm, the creature’s heart beat faintly, but it drew its final breaths. She took it inside and paused in the doorway of Ida’s bedroom.
“This is stupid,” she said out loud in the empty space. Her voice echoed.
“Oh, what the hell.” Glancing at Ida’s peaceful face, she laid the small bird on her stomach, then gently positioned her sleeping friend’s hands to cradle it.
That evening, Vera made shrimp pasta, and they paired it with fresh greens from Lucy’s garden. Paul had brought a bottle of red wine—“classy red,” he called it. In the months since Gatz had taken office, imports into the city had risen as he eliminated Vance’s isolationist tactics. After reintroducing trade, luxuries like fresh vegetables, wine, and seafood were becoming available again.
They laughed over dinner, recounting the grocery store trip where Paul had to ask someone where to find the paprika, having no idea what it was and horribly mispronouncing it as “pa-per-eureeka.”
As they laughed and sipped wine from large glasses, Lucy heard rustling noises coming from the main room. She left the table as Vera and Paul cleaned up.
She entered the common room and gazed up toward the high ceiling.
On one of the beams, the sparrow chirped and flapped its wings.
Lucy smiled.
END OF BOOK TWO
Dormant
Rogue Spark Book Three
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Prologue
10 December 2046
Spark City
Military tribunal of Colonel Will Hunter
CLASSIFIED TRANSCRIPTS
Examiner: Can you describe for the tribunal the incident that occurred at Sainshand Station in the Gobi Desert on April 24th, 2040?
Hunter: Six years ago, I was in charge of a classified military operation, and on this particular occasion, I was leading a training exercise.
Examiner: What was the operation? Let the record show that the members of this tribunal possess the highest-level security clearance, and the details of these court proceedings will be held in the strictest confidentiality.
Hunter: I was training a new battalion of [pause] soldiers. We planned to lead a massive assault on the Heavies.
Examiner: For purposes of tribunal records, please clarify the term, Heavies.
Hunter: Heavies are slang for the hostile alien species that made contact with Earth in 2038 and invaded parts of what were formerly the nations of Russia, China, and areas of the Middle East.
Examiner: Thank you. Please continue with your description of the training operation.
Hunter: In late 2038, I led the formation of an experimental genetics program authorized by President Howard herself and the Secretary of Defense. Only myself and the lead scientist, Dr. Phillip Kenmore, knew the true strategic goal of the program.
Examiner: What was the nature of the program?
Hunter: We were commanded to find a way to produce soldiers strong enough to fight against the Heavies. Super soldiers, if you will.
Examiner: And were you able to produce what you call “super soldiers”?
Hunter: You understand, I was given authority to initiate this program by the highest levels of government?
Examiner: Yes, we understand. Let the record show that the tribunal recognizes the project was sanctioned by the President and the commander of the armed forces. Please continue, Colonel.
Hunter: We synthesized human DNA with genetic sequences of animals to bring forth new characteristics. It’s long been known that splicing DNA between animals could combine certain traits. For instance, scientists created a glowing rabbit and a goat whose milk contained spider silk. But gene
tic functions are very complex, and it wasn’t until Dr. Kenmore’s experiments that humans successfully adopted the traits of animals. We created a new species we called the hybrids.
Examiner: Were the hybrids considered a success?
Hunter: [Shakes head] No. While their physical abilities were incredible, they were not cooperative.
Examiner: Why do you think the hybrids were not cooperative?
Hunter: Hell, if I’d have known the answer, I’d have fixed the problem. Maybe the animal DNA made them too wild, too unpredictable.
Examiner: How did Sainshand Station fit into the hybrid program?
Hunter: Our original medical facility burned to the ground in an accident. Fortunately, the test subjects’ lives—the hybrids—were spared. We rebuilt and moved into phase two: training for war.
Examiner: What happened during phase two training?
Hunter: Things went smoothly at first. The hybrids’ physical strength and abilities exceeded our expectations. Dr. Kenmore’s genetic recombination varied. Many of the subjects’ genetic strands were spliced with DNA from wolves, snakes, tigers, and other aggressive animals. As a result, there were other physical traits expressed—fast running speed, ability to jump enormous heights, heightened sense of smell…I could go on.
Examiner: No need. We have extensive documentation. Where did things go wrong?
Hunter: We were understaffed. As the hybrids’ strength grew, so did their aggression. I was there, leading the training, but I grew concerned for my safety and that of my crew.
Examiner: Did the hybrids turn violent?
Hunter: Yes. [long pause] The memory of that night pains me. [coughs] Sorry.
Examiner: Take your time.
Hunter: On April 24th—the night of the incident—we woke the subjects in the early morning hours to embark on a training exercise in the desert. As we boarded several armored trucks, the hybrids attacked me and the other human soldiers. They [pause] fired upon us and others were…torn apart by the creatures’ claws. [long pause]
Examiner: How did you manage to escape?
Hunter: In the chaos of the fighting, I hid in a storage compartment. The hybrids massacred the humans. The next day, I emerged from hiding, crept into my office, and summoned help. I fled the facility and rendezvoused with a rescue cruiser.
Examiner: What happened next?
Hunter: I collaborated with another battalion to architect an assault to retake the base. We staged an attack and gassed the place to knock out the hybrids before we closed in and captured them.
Examiner: Did the hybrids surrender?
Hunter: Eventually, yes. This time, we outmanned them, and they were no match for our firepower.
Examiner: What happened to the hybrids?
Hunter: I wanted to destroy them right away, but I was ordered by the Secretary of Defense to continue the training in the hopes we could make them into the superior soldiers we’d envisioned. I continued for four months until the program was cancelled.
Examiner: Why was the program cancelled?
Hunter: After the Sainshand incident, the hybrids were angry and rebellious. I reported my findings to my superiors and argued that the program—so far as the hybrids went—was a failure. The President shut us down and decreed that the creatures be transported to a segregated district within Spark City. We were instructed to reprogram their memories with implants. There was to be no evidence of the super soldier program. So, that’s what we did; we wiped all memories.
Examiner: Colonel, you stand accused of attempted murder and crimes against the human-hybrid species for the events that took place in Spark City this year. What do you have to say in your defense?
Hunter: Human-hybrid? That’s a laugh. Those things are animals. Monsters. They slaughtered my squad in the Mongolian desert six years ago. The hybrids should have been wiped out—destroyed—back then. But some soft-hearted, do-gooder president had to go and take pity on them…
One
Six months earlier
I run. It's been months—years maybe? I run along rolling green hills at the ocean's edge, into copper-hued canyons, and through forests.
I'm tired. I run with no destination. "Move," I tell my sore feet.
Because he’s chasing me.
Vance. That was his name. My memories are hazy. I know he’s evil and will hurt me if he catches me. He hurt people I knew, people I cared about. But I didn't let him kill them. I touched them and brought them back to life. Before he could destroy more people, I stopped him.
Darkness surrounds me, and I've been running a long time. No sign of Vance, so I stop for a rest. I'm in an unkempt field where scraggly brush reaches my thighs. I pinch the leaves, and they crumble between my fingers. Dead.
Ahead of me in the distance, I spy objects. A collection of rides and tents and hastily built wooden shacks, and there's a giant big-top tent like in old movies. I search my mind for the word…carnival.
But the shuttered carnival looks run-down, weathered by time, and forgotten by the children who once begged their parents to bring them here.
A cutting wind chills my aching body, pushing me on. As I near the entrance, a lonely rusty gate swings back and forth. I scan behind for any sign of Vance. Alone for now, but I’m sure he'll find me soon. He always does.
Decaying smells surround me, discarded memories hover in vacant market stalls. I pass by a row of wooden stands that once housed souvenirs and games but now lie rotting.
My feet stir up dust with every step. I squat and touch the earth, grabbing a handful of the soil. Dry, lifeless, it flows through my fingers. Where am I?
I wander through rows of crumbling games. A small purple tent has a sign: "Bearded Lady 1 nickel. You won't believe your e…" The paint peels off in splintered chips.
Rounding a corner, I spot the big top. The massive red and white canvas is faded and torn. Light seeps from gaping holes. I edge closer.
Vance laughs quietly to my right. Whirling around, I find him sitting on a bench in an ancient carousel. The macabre horses lack heads—as if a madman had come along and chopped them all off in a cruel practical joke.
My heart races, and adrenaline courses through me as I prepare to run.
"Wait," he says. "You always run. Why not stop and chat like civilized people for once?"
Is he trying to trick me?
I sprint toward the big top. A dilapidated flap door flutters, beckoning. Pushing the heavy canvas aside, I slip into the tent.
Inside, the lights flicker out. Stars surround me, breaking up the blackness. I creep toward a large table that’s illuminated in the center of the room. I'm floating. Like I'm walking on air, but that's impossible.
I reach the table and inhale sharply. On it rests a model of Spark City. I recognize the tall skyscrapers, the enormous lake, and the river cutting through the center like a zipper.
Reaching out, I try to grasp the miniature living city, but my hands slice through air. An illusion? Did Vance create this to amuse himself at my expense?
I step a few feet to my right, and the table expands, the city landscape endless. I bend, searching underneath, but find only black space.
Before I can rationalize things, a sharp tingling begins in my side. My fingers trace my old wound. A Heavy—the aliens that invaded part of Earth—stabbed me there years ago when I was in the war.
I glimpse down at my side, lifting my black t-shirt. My skin around the wound glows blue. Pressing inward, underneath my skin, the alien blade remains.
Pushing my shirt down, I gaze up as a dark shadow falls across the Spark City replica. In the middle of the city, the earth is scorched, flattened. Glass towers, streets teeming with markets, bright neon lights. Gone. Reduced to rubble.
I back away, confused, until I bump into a tent wall. Fumbling for the flaps, I stumble out into the night.
Vance must still be around. I drop to a runner's stance, ready to bolt, when the old carousel organ starts up. Vance snaps his fingers, and
the lights on the ride switch on. The carousel groans to life, rusty wheels grate noisily as the contraption begins to revolve.
"Come aboard," he says. "You can jump off and run whenever you want."
Now’s my chance to escape and get a head start, but I'm so tired. The running is endless. Can I end the chase if I face him?
The carousel picks up speed. Suddenly, the carnival bursts to life around me. Light shines all around; everything looks pristine, no longer abandoned and rotting.
Strangest of all, people mill around dressed in clothes from a long-ago era. Men wear black suits and bowler caps; women wear long dresses and bonnets. Children run through the grounds laughing and shouting in delight.
The carousel spins, and Vance remains, dressed in his usual black pants and long, gray trench coat. I gaze down to be sure I'm still wearing my modern clothes too, including my familiar black combat boots. Nobody seems to notice us until I feel a tug on my jacket sleeve and find a little boy at my side. He's maybe eight-years-old and wearing a cap, white button-down shirt, and red suspenders that support overly large trousers.
"Excuse me, ma'am," the boy says. "The man on the carousel told me to give you this." He offers his hand.
The Rogue Spark series Box Set Page 26