"What are you talking about?" Gatz asks.
"I'm talking about us. Duh. The three of us are going to wage some badassery in this city.”
He clears his throat. "Lucy, do you mind giving me and Ida a bit of private time?"
Her smile fades. Deflated, she mumbles, "Sure," and stalks out. With a final glance at me, she closes the door.
Alone with Gatz, I hope to get answers. "What's the deal? Everyone is babying me. I may be weak right now, but I can handle the truth. I know I was out for two years. What the hell has happened?"
"There's a lot to explain, but are you sure you want to hear this so soon? I mean you just woke up. Maybe we should get a doctor."
"From what I gather, the doctors aren't worth shit. If you need something done right, the medicine woman is the one to call."
"Lucy was right about her. I had my doubts. I thought the kid was crazy. This time, I'm glad I was wrong."
"So, fill me in on the last two years." I'm desperate for information. I feel like the only one not invited to the party. "But wait. First, I need to know. The night I fell into the coma—Vance. What happened to him?”
"Dead. His body had been burned from the inside out. Whatever your touch did to him, he's gone for good."
I'm relieved to learn of his demise, but I still wonder why he was in my head during my coma. "What happened after that?"
"I went in. Took a team of hybrids and scientists with me into his buildings, his factory. We studied Vance's androids and plans.”
The robots were a menace to the city when Vance took over the human police force, replacing them entirely. Comprised of cybernetic steel that he invented, the machines were humanoid and stood seven feet tall. I recall fighting them in the planetarium. One of them lunged for me, nearly throttled me, its lifeless round head showing no emotion. Only a red pulsating light scanning me behind a steel-gray visor.
“We worked fast,” Gatz continues. “I wasn't sure how much time we'd have before the government—the military actually—would claim jurisdiction. Sure enough, a week later, they seized his droids and took control of the DremCorp towers. I fought to stay, but they wouldn't allow me or the others in, claimed they needed to study his technology for the advancement of science and to fight the Heavies.” He wrings his hands. "You know how much I trust scientists. The military is here in the city. You might find it hard to believe, but I'm the mayor. Well, I was…" He lowers his head. "But now, I'm not."
"What? How is that possible? How could you be mayor? You're a—” I stop, realize my mistake.
"A what? Because I’m a hybrid? Thanks for the vote of confidence." He crosses his arms. "I did a damn fine job by the way."
"Sorry." I choose my words more carefully. "It's just a lot to take in. So many people distrust hybrids. Or, well, they did."
"After Vance died, the remaining politicians and city leaders appointed an investigatory committee. Several of us put our names in to become acting mayor. I figured the worst that could happen was a rejection. After a lot of vetting and intense interviews, it came down to me. I got a lot of credibility for helping take Vance out."
"And for two years you've been mayor?"
"Yes. Only now I'm not because the military is in charge."
"What?"
"Spark City is under martial law as of last week. I was asked to step down or I’d be forcibly removed."
"Why? How can that be?"
He frowns. “Ida, I know this is a lot to take in all at once. If you're tired—”
“Don't baby me." I bite my bottom lip. “Whatever is going on, I can handle it."
The hologram of Gatz flickers. “Let me show you.” In his apartment, he strides to a window. “Open shade,” he commands. A metallic panel slides open revealing a city view. I squint, momentarily blinded by bright daylight. After a few seconds, my eyes adjust. In the distance, marine airships drop off supplies next to what appears to be a military checkpoint just outside the entrance to Section H.
Lucy barges in, scans the holograph, and jumps into Gatz's view. "You told her already? You were supposed to wait for me!"
I shake my head. "What am I seeing?”
He explains, “The military swept in, led by Colonel Will Hunter. He’s behind removing me from office. He’s said hateful things about hybrids.”
“He’s a bastard,” Lucy interjects. “And worst of all, he’s Paul’s uncle!”
“His what?” I take a breath. Paul had been Lucy’s neighbor—another teenager her age. But he’d been more than an acquaintance. I had saved his life after he’d been shot by a drug-crazed former marine in downtown Spark City. Then I’d resuscitated him again after Vance shot him in the chest to “test” my healing ability. “Why would he declare martial law? On what grounds?”
“News from across the world is the Heavies are growing stronger. Authorities suspect reinforcements may arrive at some point. Colonel Hunter claims martial law is a matter of security. He wants to fortify the city, prepare a defense, and manufacture more of Vance Drem’s robots to serve as soldiers on the front lines.”
“Okay. But why couldn’t they have done that with your cooperation as mayor?”
“Because he’s a bastard.” Lucy huffs and folds her arms.
“Like I said, Hunter is fearful of hybrids and he’s stirring up public outrage against us. In fact, he’s been holding rallies and press conferences saying hybrids are the downfall of Spark City. The press is having a field day, airing interviews where he says we’ve stolen jobs from humans and shouldn’t have the same rights.” He winces. “That we matter less than humans.”
“Yeah. The hybrids are protesting against Hunter, but now angry human idiots are looting hybrid businesses, gathering into mobs, and rioting to try to drive the hybrids out,” says Lucy. Her face grows serious. “Tell her the other part.”
“Another time,” he says.
“Tell me now. I can handle it.”
Gatz sighs. “I’ve received death threats.”
“Is it Hunter’s doing?”
“There’s no way to know for sure,” he continues. “Could just be angry folks that have been stirred up.”
“And? Go on,” Lucy interjects.
He looks embarrassed to recount the details. “I told Hunter about the death threats and asked him for help. Tried to see if he’d tone down his message.”
The military commanders I knew would rise above the melee and try to bring peace to the situation. “And what happened?”
“He told me it was the will of the people. That I should seek shelter in Section H. Hunter said hybrids should keep to ourselves and stay away from humans. We didn’t have much choice. After a few ugly incidents where hybrids had to defend themselves, all hybrids were sequestered to Section H at Hunter’s command.”
I flinch. “All of this because of one man?”
“One very powerful man who managed to take over the city quickly,” he says.
“We should take him down,” says Lucy. “Badassery!”
I’m nauseous. So much has happened, and I was asleep through it all.
Don’t forget YOU caused all of this. Vance’s voice booms between my ears loud as a bullhorn. How can this be happening? I grasp the blanket in my fists and groan. You triggered the downfall of Spark City when you messed with me.
"Are you okay, Ida?" Gatz raises his thick eyebrows.
You should have healed me, not murdered me!
I dig my nails into my palms, manage a weak smile. "Yes, just need to rest."
Lucy and Gatz nod to each other, and he signs off after agreeing to check in later. "Get some sleep," Lucy says as she pulls the blanket over my chest.
Afterwards, I burrow under the covers, but sleep doesn’t come.
Vance won't stop. Oh, Ida. Don't forget, I'm a part of you. Can’t wait to find out what you destroy next.
I pass out to the sound of his laughter.
Six
Two days later, I’m wide awake and restless after t
he current events update. “Asleep so long, time wasted,” I mutter under my breath.
Gingerly, I lean forward and sit upright on the bed, lifting my arms over my head for a long glorious stretch. Damn, I’ve been sedentary too long. Will I have the strength to walk? Only one way to find out.
Flipping the covers off my lower body, I twist and hoist my legs over the side of the bed. I pause and catch my breath, taking in my surroundings. Home, only different. The place I broke into, where I squatted when I arrived in Spark City, was a long-abandoned dome-shaped conservatory surging with overgrown vines. Bordering the deserted zoo, it was a trash pit and unfit to live in. I never intended to be here long, much less two whole years pulling a Rip Van Winkle.
Seems Lucy and Vera cleaned up and renovated while I was out of it. I peer up at the glass window panes, repaired and recently scrubbed. Green coiling strands of kudzu vine once suffocated the ceiling, blocking most of the sunlight. But they’ve been trimmed. What was once all open space littered with trash and debris now has actual rooms—partitions that allow for privacy and individual sleeping quarters. Beside my bed, a nightstand holds a small digital tablet and a few dog-eared paperbacks.
I inch forward, plop my bare feet on the art deco green ceramic tiles. Cold. Just like I remember. Testing my weight, I nudge my body forward while resting my upper body on my arms. Shaky, but I’ll be okay.
I manage to walk several steps before Lucy storms in. “Hey,” she says, cheeks flushed. “Why are you out of bed? You could’ve fallen!”
“Forget it. I’m fine.” I amble across the room. “See.”
“Amazing,” Vera approaches from the doorway, carrying a tray with a teapot and mug and sets it down on the small table. “To be up and walking already…I wasn’t expecting you to recover so fast.”
“It must be your power, Ida,” Lucy says with bright eyes.
“Nah, don’t be silly.” I sidle to the bed and climb back in. “I’ve always been quick to recover. Just lucky, I guess.” I nod at the tea. “I guess this place has a kitchen now?”
“Yes, it was all redone,” says Vera as she pours. “A lot was done. Wait until you see it all.”
I attempt a smile. I should be grateful. They lived here as they took care of me. Why not make it a nicer place? But where did the funds come from? Now I owe someone. Probably Gatz. I hate owing people.
“What’s on the agenda today?” I ask after a sip.
"Since I alerted him you’re awake, Major Tyren has been pinging every few hours asking to visit you."
Tyren. My old commanding officer. One of the few people on Earth I trust with my life. One of the few who knows about my power.
“I’d love to see him.”
“I knew you would, but I’ve been holding him off.” She smirks.
I arch my eyebrows. “What’s up?”
“I’ll message him, but on one condition.”
“Go on.”
“You promise to give me fight lessons again. I’ve been training like mad!”
"Are you high? I just woke up from a coma and you want to fight me?"
“Not today.” She rolls her eyes. “Soon as you feel up to it. I’ve been practicing—every day." Grabbing my hand, she squeezes. "I really missed you. Everyone said you were a lost cause, but I knew better."
Swallowing hard, I blush at her sudden affection. I never had sisters, never knew my mother. "I'll do my best but go easy on me."
Tyren arrives a few hours later. I can't believe my eyes as I greet the tall black man at the door dressed in his military uniform. I grin at the sight of a familiar friend, one who survived battles and near-death experiences with me, and hug him.
"As soon as I found out you were awake, I wanted to come visit,” he says.
"It's great to see you." I can't stop smiling.
Tyren hasn't changed much over the years. His huge hazel eyes stand out among the sharp features on his broad face. He’s just as fit as he was in the desert.
He gazes past me to Vera and Lucy, lingering behind us. "Shit, where are my manners?" I introduce them as my friends, awkwardly. “Meet Major Reginald Tyren."
"Nice to meet you." Vera shakes his enormous hand.
"Hi," Lucy says softly.
“Nice to see you in person, Lucy.”
"Would you like to come in for tea?" asks Vera.
"That's very kind of you," he says. "But I'm here on business and need to talk to Ida. Can we take a walk?"
"Yeah, sure. Let me grab my jacket.” As I amble into my bedroom to grab my leather jacket, I wonder if he'll tell me why the hybrids have been sequestered. And why the hell the city is on the brink of war?
Careful. What does he really want from you?
I shake my head in disbelief. Hearing Vance's voice again makes me shudder. Is it a side effect from my coma? "I must be going crazy," I mutter as I close the bedroom door.
Tyren and I set off outside into a light drizzle. Above, sweeping gray clouds blanket the sky. We stride in silence, and the moisture on my skin feels refreshing as we cross the grass. A long expanse of what was formerly dirt and dead weeds is now a neat, lush garden, thanks to Lucy. Buds are just starting to emerge from bushes and trees.
"Impressive," says Tyren. "Your new digs are interesting." He glances at the pale green dome-shaped structure. Built in the 1890s during a time of restoration following a massive fire, it once housed thousands of exotic plants, trees, and flowers from around the world.
“My place isn’t for everyone, but it suits me."
"You always did things your way.”
I scrunch my eyes and chuckle. Then, I remember the city is under martial law, and my smile disappears. "So, what's going on? What's happening with the military presence here?"
He frowns. "Bet you didn't expect to wake up and be told I was here along with ten thousand of your fellow troops. I certainly didn't expect to be having this conversation either.”
I shove my hands in my pockets, silently agreeing about the strange turn of events.
“Heard you got yourself into quite a mess when you moved here.”
"Yeah, no kidding. Who told you?"
“Colonel Will Hunter. You know of him?"
“The deranged asshole who kicked the rightful mayor out of power, sequestered the hybrids, and is stirring up hatred? Yeah, I know of him. I'm friends with Gatz, by the way."
"So I’ve been told.”
"Tyren, what happened before my coma…It's a long story. A complicated one.”
"I was briefed on your story."
"Really? By who? If it was Hunter, your information was probably full of lies."
"Look, Ida. Put your grudge aside. We have reason to believe the hybrids have stolen technology from DremCorp. We believe Gatz was involved, and that’s why Hunter wanted to remove him from power. He’s been building a case.”
“What kind of tech?”
“Based on archived records we unearthed from Vance Drem, we believe it’s some type of mech suit. An armored suit with AI that he was testing. Early stages.”
Early stages, my ass. The helmet was done.
I wince. “Why the hybrids? What proof do you have? Maybe someone else took it.”
“Gatz and others like him had full run of the DremCorp towers before we arrived. We found many signs that Drem’s matrix had been hacked, exploited.”
I kick the wet ground with my boot. “Why are you telling me this?”
He furrows his brow. "Hunter has been asking that you rejoin the military.”
Cat’s out of the bag about your power. I clench my teeth as we stride through wet grass, trying to block Vance’s intrusive commentary. I’ll bet Hunter wants you to serve by his side. Heal him if anything bad should happen.
“Do you know what you’ll do next?” Tyren says. “Now that we’re here in Spark City, it just seems logical that you’d serve with us. Hunter and I know what you’re capable of. Your…talents.”
See what I mean? How about the military
lab where you came from? Ask him what happened to that?
“I haven’t had time to think yet.” I scratch my head. “Now that I know you’re here…Yeah, I guess I could rejoin. It's just…been a long time, and I haven't been myself."
He halts and faces me. “I missed you, Ida. I never realized how much until you left. Isn’t that always the way? You take someone for granted until they’re gone.” Grabbing my hand, he stares down, locking his gaze on mine. “You’re like a daughter to me. Please come back.”
I swallow, fighting a growing tightness in my chest. I never expected to see Tyren here in Spark City or to return to military life so soon, and yet the military is the only place I’ve ever belonged.
The lab. Ask about the lab.
I yank my hands away from Tyren and stagger back, surprised at the force of Vance’s words.
“Are you okay, Ida?”
“Fine. Still recovering,” I say weakly.
“I understand. This is all happening quickly.”
“Tyren, the military lab in the desert. Where you found me all those years ago. What happened to it? Does it still exist?”
His eyes betray a flicker of recognition and something else—surprise? “The lab I rescued you from? My crew burned it down and wiped it off the map.”
“That’s a relief.” My shoulders relax, and I silently curse Vance for digging up bad memories.
He’s a liar.
Tyren begins to tread across the expanse of weeds and wildflowers that border my unique home.
Catching up to him, I breathe in the humidity, the pungent smell of the soil beneath my feet. “The more I think about it, the more I’m loving the idea. It’ll be like old times working together, you and me.”
He halts. “Here’s the thing…”
There’s always a catch.
“Hunter has asked that you be assigned under his command.”
“What?” I ball my fists. “You denied it, right?"
He glances away, his lips pressed together in a tight line.
“No way. I can't possibly report to that man!"
"Ida, he's my superior. I made a case that you'd be most comfortable reporting to me, but he disagreed. I'm sorry."
The Rogue Spark series Box Set Page 28