Return

by Corrie Brundage

  “Please tell me they haven’t become a threat to the population,” Eva began. “We don’t know how much longer the cages can hold. We’ve made them to be pretty strong, but … they’re in a rage. Please, go to Jack and tell us what they’re thinking.” Eva was paying no attention to the rain plastering her red hair to her skull, and I didn’t really notice it either. Rory was shaking his head, his beard dripping onto his tunic, his eyes fierce. He had yet to speak. The three of us walked through the mud toward Jack’s cage, and I saw that unlike all the others, his was perfectly still. He wasn’t raging, and I began to have a little hope once more.

  “Rory, I’m going to do my best to figure out what’s going on with the half-morphs, but you have to promise me you won’t hurt them. If they’re an actual threat, I’ll determine that. For that matter, where’s the rest of the Origin Council in all this? So far I’ve only seen your face around here, and you seem to be head honcho. If it’s just you deciding our fates, well that doesn’t seem like a democracy to me.” That I was suddenly focusing on the details of the political process that was unfolding told me my mind was close to snapping from the stress. Perseverating on details I had no control over was common for me when in dire situations, and I guessed Rory had never had to deal with a true obsessive-compulsive personality. Looking confused at my sudden concern, he finally said, “I’m in charge of all the camps out here. The rest of the Council is back in Origin. And ye’re right, I’m making the decisions, but we need to maintain the Council in case of worst-case scenarios. If I don’t survive this, well, we need some semblance of authority to remain so that the people can hold elections once more. Now please, go to the cage and do whatever ye’re able to do with these … things.”

  I balked at his description of the man I loved but forced myself to shrug. I had to focus now and link up my mind with Jack’s. Politics could wait till after the situation was resolved. My feet were sticking in the sludge now, but I slogged my way through it to hunch down and peer into Jack’s cage. He was on all fours, his strange face held upright on his spiny neck, eyes alert. Around him, half-morphs continued their keening and thrashing, but he seemed to pay them no mind.

  “Jack!” I cried out loud, to get his attention, but almost immediately my mind linked up with his, and a preternatural calm had overtaken his thoughts. His eyes. His eyes pulsated with a glow I had never seen before. The effect altered his entire visage, and I longed to reach through the bars of the cage to touch his face and reassure myself he was still the same person I had loved over the span of two lifetimes.

  “I can see light, Mina. I can see spectrums of light no other living thing on Earth could comprehend. It’s amazing, kid. The entire universe is here, with us. It’s overwhelming all the half-morphs.”

  “Jack, I don’t understand, please let me know what’s happening with the other half-morphs. Are you safe? Are you hurt? No one here understands what set you all off and you’re in danger of being …well, you’re in danger if they can’t get under control.” My hands were gripping the cold metal bars now, and I sensed everyone standing behind me, awaiting answers. Other researchers were watching our exchange with curiosity but no fear. I supposed it was just one big experiment for them, and I didn’t feel my usual self-consciousness that I was being observed in an intimate moment.

  “They aren’t angry at the humans. They’re angry at the Travelers. So please tell them we’re not going to hurt anyone here. That hasn’t changed.” Jack’s voice in my head was flat and without emotion. It terrified me more than the raging I saw around us. He turned his glowing eyes on me, and I felt a chill totally unrelated to the driving rain shiver down my spine.

  “Jack, we need to know what’s wrong, and how we can calm the others down. The Travelers will be here tomorrow, and we’ve got to know you’re still with us as allies.” I knew Rory would want me to ask that question, and I resented his presence making itself known in my private interlude with my husband.

  “Well, Mina, the half-morphs aren’t going to be calming down any time soon. And there’s nothing any of the researchers can do. Because you won’t have to wait till tomorrow for the Travelers to arrive.” His eyes locked on mine, and I searched them for a sliver of the love that was always there for me. But what he said next nearly knocked me on my ass.

  “They’re coming now, kid. They’ll be here within the hour. And if you want us to be allies, to fight alongside you, you’ll have to let us out of these cages. We’re ready.”

  I lifted my hand to my mouth in a gesture reminiscent of a Victorian maiden being shocked by something unseemly. I sat down in the mud, not minding the cold clay that seeped through my tunic set. Eva was over my shoulder, trying to get my attention. Rory stood a short distance away from us, watching all this carefully. Jack’s eyes stayed on my face, but he seemed to be conveying something to the other half-morphs. Despite their frenzy, they were listening.

  “Eva. Jack just told me, well, told us, that we don’t have another day to prepare. They’re coming soon. In an hour. And we’re not ready. We’ve got to set them free if they’re to help us. I need to get back to the camp, to Lulu …”

  When I finished babbling, the activity around me became frenetic. Rory was on his communicator, yelling at his retinue to get moving, to get to the camps and start organizing Originals. But I tuned it all out. All I could focus on was Jack, and the world receded as our probable deaths suddenly came much closer to being reality.

  “So, kid. I guess this is it. The crafts will be landing all over the world, we can sense it all. I can see it in my mind’s eye. Once they land, well, your guess is as good as mine as to what happens. The rage you’re seeing is our willingness to fight them, once and for all. I hope you’ve gotten the people in the camps prepared enough. I heard your speech, and I’ve never been so proud. How is Lulu holding up?” Jack was continuing our inner dialogue, and a faint smile touched my lips at his mention of our daughter.

  “Betsy is a sort of head babysitter in our camp, and Lulu is with her. Whatever is coming, she’ll be safe there. At least, if we can handle the Travelers effectively. Tell me, Jack, is there any hope? Can we truly fight an advanced race of beings that probably has millions of years’ worth of technological advancement on us?”

  I thought I saw a wry smile around Jack’s disfigured mouth.

  “Kid, all I know is a pack mentality right now. And my pack is telling me they will fight to the death. If motivation and intention were enough to win a fight, we’d have them beat in a second. In this moment, I know I love you, and I love our daughter. But you’ve got to let us out. We know where they’ll be landing.”

  I looked over my shoulder at Rory, still in a fiery debate with Zeke on his communicator, gesturing at the sky, at the forests that lay beyond the camps. He’d be ordering people into preparation mode, and I felt a sharp knife of worry at how frightened Lulu must be. But the glowing eyes of my half-morph husband were mesmerizing, and returning to them, to their ferocity and clarity, I was reminded of all I might lose. If I could just sit here and drown in those eyes that could see things I never would, that both frightened and calmed me, and stay that way forever …

  The other half-morphs had begun to move around less, their gazes sharp and keen on Jack and me. The same glow was in their eyes.

  “If we’re to be in formation, we need to be let out right away. Do you think you can convince Eva and the others to do that?” I nodded slowly, beginning to comprehend Jack’s plan. With a sigh, I brought myself back to reality, which was moving much faster than I liked.

  “Eva!” I called, and her head turned toward me, her wet hair whipping around with the movement. The rain had begun to subside, but a light drizzle continued. The sky was still dark and overcast, and it wasn’t ideal for seeing an enemy. We’d have to make do, I supposed.

  “They need to be let out, as soon as possible. If they’re going to fight, they need to get into formation. I can assure you, with every possible promise I could ever mak
e, that they aren’t a threat to Originals.” I waited, holding my breath. I wanted Jack to be freed of this cage once and for all, even if he was going to his death.

  Eva came to hunker down next to me, and she peered into the cage. I could see her making an executive decision. She looked at Rory, who was flailing his arms around while on his communicator with one of his Highland village family members. She looked back into my face, and I offered a wan smile, hoping it was convincing enough. She stood abruptly and called over her own entourage of researchers.

  “Open the cages. Dr. Brice has assured us it’s safe.” A young researcher opened her mouth to protest, but Eva raised her hand to silence her. “Those are my orders. Do it, starting with Dr. Mac-Connell here.” My smile widened, and for a brief moment I felt some relief. I’d be able to touch Jack, if only for a second or two. But I had to get back to my camp, and let Lulu know I’d do everything in my power to make her safe. And I’d decided what I’d do after that. I’d run with the half-morphs, because no one else would be able to keep up with them. My genetic engineering allowed me to be faster than anyone else could hope to be, and I’d stay at my husband’s side and meet whatever would be soon arriving.

  I glanced over at Alyssa’s cage, and she was watching me very closely. I lifted my hand in a greeting to her, for a moment putting aside the fact that she was someone to be wary of, jealous of, and she raised her snout in reply. Eva leaned over me to swipe her ID card over the side of Jack’s cage, and I realized it acted as a sort of key. The door sprung open, and Eva stood back with a look of terror on her face. But Jack stayed put, and sent a thought into my mind.

  “I heard you decided you’d run along with us. We don’t want to alarm the Originals in the camps, so we’ll be stealthy moving through them. I can give you the coordinates of where the spacecraft will be landing, but I’m guessing Rory has had his people already figure it out. We’ll meet you at the perimeter of your camp in half an hour. Not all of us. That would be too conspicuous. I’ll be in the group, and we’ll all run together. We’re fast, Mina, and if you can’t keep up, we’ll have to leave you behind. So bring your A game, kid.” He was joking with me now, and I welcomed the respite. Finally breaking contact with his eyes, I stood up and relayed the entire plan to Eva. She was shaking her head in denial, telling me it was foolish and unsafe. But I didn’t care. I had to fight, had to strive to live for the sake of my daughter. The other cages opened in fast succession, and the half-morphs began slinking out on all fours with an oily grace I’d never seen in any other animal. The wiry power of their muscles reminded me of a jaguar, or a panther. I shivered again at the sight. Rory had fallen silent at the spectacle, a look of awe on his face.

  “Somethin’ tells me we’ve got some real weapons in these half-morphs, Dr. Brice,” he said to me, but Jack ignored him. Still on all fours, he lifted his snout to the air, sniffed the scent of wet earth and gentle rain, and sent me one more thought.

  “Meet us in half an hour. Remember, if you can’t keep up, we won’t stop. You’ll only have time to make sure our daughter is safe. I’ll see you soon, kid.” And with that, he leapt forward in a movement that stunned me with its speed and agility. The wet dirt that kicked up under his claws nearly blinded me, and I blinked bits of it away to watch the entire half-morph camp run after him. The air filled with cries of triumph, and I felt goose bumps stand up on my arms. We all stood back to allow them to run out of the camp, several researchers looking terrified that they’d be trampled to death. But the half-morphs moved with a precision and alertness that ensured no one would be injured during their exit. I watched closely, too, gauging their speed. They were fast, and they weren’t holding back. I’d have to dredge up every ounce of energy to keep up with them, and even then I’d lag behind. Only seconds later, they were gone, heading toward the tree line and away from any of the other camps. For a moment, my eyes scanning the camp, I caught a glimpse of Luke, his back to me. He cast a glance over his shoulder, his one good eye catching my gaze, then continued in the opposite direction. He’d seen the whole drama unfold. I couldn’t speculate about what he was thinking, though, and turned to Eva.

  “I need to go back to my camp. I need to say good-bye to my daughter,” I said to her. She nodded and replied, “Hurry. We don’t have much time left.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Back at my camp, Originals were lining up in formation at the instruction of Obedience Officers, and it was clear the news of impending doom hadn’t been broadcast over the PA system just yet. I wasn’t about to be the one to break it to the crowd. Many people seemed to be enjoying the drills they were being put through. I searched frantically through the throngs for my own group, hoping I could get to Lulu with enough time to spare before running to the perimeter to meet the half-morphs. I knocked into a few individuals in my haste, the people recognizing me and wanting me to stop to chat with them. I didn’t linger, too distracted to worry if they’d think I was rude. I nearly tripped over a dirt mound that had been kicked up in the recent activity, but righted myself as I caught a glimpse of Mack amidst some people following an Officer’s instruction on how to kneel down to aim their weapons. I was desperate to reach him, and I felt my eyes widen with a wild fervor as I raced over. He caught the look on my face and stopped fiddling with his vest to grab my arm. I was whipping my head around, trying to find Betsy and the crowd of children, and my wet hair was spraying Mack in the face.

  “Hey, hey, what’s wrong, eh?”

  “They’ll be here in no time, Mack,” I explained in a low voice, “and I need to run with the half-morphs. I need to be at my husband’s side for whatever meets us out in the forest. These people, they have no idea what’s coming. God, where’s Annie? Isabelle? I need to tell them so they can prepare their weapons and leaving Tyler …” My voice had a hysterical edge and I wanted to slap myself out of it. Instead my eyes caught the rest of my group in another formation, and I saw Annie had been given the responsibility of the mini rocket launcher. Except it wouldn’t eject a rocket at all. It would send out a wave that tore the very fabric of our existence. She looked oblivious to this reality, and I hated to have to tell her she might not see her child again. She caught sight of me and I gestured her over to where Mack and I stood, outside the groups of Originals. I didn’t want to cause a panic or stampede, so I still kept my voice low as I related everything again to Annie. Tears welled up in her eyes at my news, and she began to frantically look for her wife.

  “I thought we’d have another day with Tyler, more time to prepare. But those bastards are coming now? Are you sure?” Isabelle joined us then, and Annie relayed what I had just said to her.

  “All we can do now is our best. Use what training you’ve had. I’ve got to go soon and I can’t find Lulu, she needs to know what I’m about to do. Help me find her?” My voice broke, and I bit my tongue to keep myself from crying. The crowds continued their practice, laughing and joking reaching my ears. The Officers were putting them through their paces though, and I was a little heartened when I saw how organized everyone was. I only hoped it would be good enough …

  “There! She’s over there with Tyler!” Annie pointed toward a gaggle of children that surrounded Betsy and two other young women, leading the kids in mimicking what the adults were doing. Lulu was on her knees, her expression fierce. She desperately wanted to help our cause, and the sight almost tore my soul open wide. We wove our way through the crowds, and I didn’t stop to apologize for jostling anyone on the way. It seemed the distance was only increasing as I hurried to Lulu, and Annie was gasping in panic at my side. Mack was limping alongside us, trying to keep up. Betsy saw us coming, and noted the looks on our faces. In her wise fashion, she intuited what was wrong. A look of horror dawned over her face, but she was quick to quell it. Her job was to keep the littlest ones safe, and she took that job seriously.

  “Lulu, come to me. I need to talk to you, and then I have to hurry away.” Lulu got up from her mock military position, a
nd Tyler ran to his mothers.

  “Is it what I think it is?” Betsy asked, joining Lulu at my side, keeping her voice low.

  “I can only imagine they’ll be announcing something over the PA soon, but right now I don’t want to cause a panic. So I just want to see my daughter, then I’ve got to go. Betsy, if I don’t come back, and if there’s … hope … for everyone else, please take Lulu as your own. I trust you.” I stopped at this, and nearly choked on the sadness that welled up inside me. Betsy merely nodded, her eyes grave.

  “What do you mean, Mom? Where’s Dad? What’s happening? Why can’t I come with you?” Lulu demanded. Nearby, Tyler began to throw a tantrum at what his mothers were saying to him, and they quickly shushed him. The disturbance went mostly unnoticed. Just a bratty kid acting up in a stressful situation.

  An edge of sunlight broke through the low-hanging clouds, and to me it seemed chilly and harsh. I would have given anything to be out in the trees again, working with Charlie, and my team. At the thought of them, I realized they might not know what was happening, and I didn’t think I’d have time to call them, to warn them. I might never see them again, and I hadn’t said good-bye. But in this moment, I was with my daughter. I ran my hands over the braid that hung down her back, an imitation of mine.

  “You need to obey Betsy from now on. I’m going with your father to try to make sure you’re always safe. But listen to me carefully, Little Owl. If I don’t come back, things might be very different. You need to be brave, no matter what. Even if it seems hard to do. I want you to always remember that you were the greatest thing I ever created.” Her round eyes welled with tears, and I knew she had grasped the gravity of the situation. I was leaving details out, but she had figured things out anyway. There was no getting anything past her, and I felt a swell of pride as I envisioned what kind of young woman she would become. I had to hope she’d have the opportunity. Tyler had calmed down and was clinging to his mothers, and I caught Annie’s eye. She had put her rocket launcher down, and it lay in the dirt with several people continuing through their practice motions over it. She was looking at it, then back to her child, then to her wife. Watching Annie, I knew she reached the same conclusion I had—nothing would ever be the same after this.