‘Murder is something we both have to live with,’ as Kit spoke she couldn’t bring herself look at Evie, she couldn’t look at anyone when she thought of those who had died because of her.
‘How did you make your peace with your past?’ Evie’s question was soft and she raised Kit’s chin gently with her finger so their eyes met.
‘I took it day by day, like we’ve been doing,’ Kit’s mouth became dry and a familiar knot of guilt grew in her stomach as she thought about what she had done in the old days so that she could survive. ‘And I found a cause to fight for,’ she added. ‘I killed people who were killing Genics, and I only kill those who would kill us first. President Galen ordered the deaths of so many of us, what you did will be heroic to so many.’
‘I didn’t know being a hero would make you feel like this,’ Evie said.
Kit decided a different approach was needed. ‘Well, we can hang around here all day feeling sorry for ourselves, or we can go and face the music, stand up for what we’ve done and try to help bring this country back to where it should be,’ she said. ‘Galen was a dictator, forcing rules on people who live here so that she could run things her way. We don’t have to live that way anymore, and instead we can have some say in how the world should be for us now someone new will be in charge, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get some justice for all of us Genics who’ve had to suffer in the name of progress. And have some rights so that we can start living like the rest of the population. You may feel shitty about what you did, that makes you human, but it’s what you do about it that counts.’
Kit saw Evie’s expression change and she nodded. ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘Let's go see how we can get to Fort Isa, it’ll be good for us to be back with the rest of civilization.’
Kit smiled and kissed her. ‘Even if it means giving up all this alone time?’ She asked.
‘As tempting as it is to say no, we can’t stay hidden forever,’ Evie said.
‘That’s my girl,’ Kit said.
They headed to the bedroom to get ready, it was good to be back in action and Kit was ready for what would come their way.
Chapter Two
EVIE PULLED ON HER knee length ankle boots over her dark jeans and as she stood up the hem of her woollen jumper fell to her waist and helped keep away the cool chill that drifted through the house. She walked out onto the deck at the front of the house and looked around the mountains. Being here had always made her feel safe, it was as though the landscape was protecting her from what was happening in the world, here she wasn’t a scientist for the government, or the latest rogue Genic to escape Volt, she didn’t have to have anything to worry about, she could simply be. But something was different this time, the peace that this place brought was shattered by fragments of memories of the day that she couldn’t escape from. The day she saw lifeless eyes staring back at her and the power of having control over a life that had ruined so many, buzzed through her like she had never experienced before. The sight of Galen’s dead body gave her energy that she couldn’t explain, it was as though every sinew of her was on fire, lit up and ready for action. It was only the racing thoughts that she could never turn off that was telling her the opposite. It was reminding her of all the times that she had been told using her powers was wrong, telling her of all the times she had to hide who she was if she had to survive. She had managed so well to hide the side of her that was illegal and had managed to adopt the persona of a human that part of her had forgotten she was a Genic, now it was all she could think about and she didn’t know how to be this new person. She didn’t know how she was supposed to act in the middle of a war, she didn’t know how she was supposed to use her powers against humans who were coming after them, against an army that she and her brother had once been part of. They had kept them safe for so long, had been their family, turning her back on them felt wrong, like it shouldn’t be, yet it was the only thing in the world that seemed possible.
She heard the soft padding of boots and smelled Kit’s flowery scent as the woman she loved joined her and she looked out at the mountain range with her. ‘It is beautiful here,’ Kit commented.
‘I hope we can come back one day,’ Evie was forcing herself to cling onto some hope that this place would survive whatever was coming.
‘We will,’ Kit assured her. ‘It’s good to be reminded that there’s still beauty in the world, it gives us something worth fighting for.’
Evie turned to her. ‘What are you fighting for?’ She asked. ‘Now that Galen is dead, what’s the fight?’
Evie saw Kit’s brow furrow, and her eyes narrow at the question. ‘What do you mean?’ She asked.
‘Before the fight was about getting Galen out of power right?’ Evie asked. ‘Well now she’s dead, we’ve accomplished that. So what’s next? The world has to go back to some form of whatever normal is, but what’s our part in it?’
Evie felt a knot in her stomach as Kit turned and looked at her, her face scrunched by the question. ‘We’re responsible,’ she said. ‘We helped create this chaos, it’s our duty to help put it right again. We’ll know more when we get to Fort Isa but we can’t just bow out now because Galen’s out of the picture. My fight has always been about freedom for Genics, for us to be equal to humans and have a place of respect in this world so we don’t have to keep living like animals. That’s not going to happen just because their leader is gone and we have to work with everyone for change to happen.’
Evie leant against the fence on the deck. ‘Do you think we can ever be equal to humans?’ The EKG symbol she had tattooed onto her skin as a child to falsely mark her as human, burned as nerves raced through Evie as she asked the question.
‘One day,’ Kit said. ‘But equality can never be reached when there’s a dictator in power who’s using hatred as part of their propaganda.’
Evie turned to her, hoping that Kit couldn’t see the tears that had welled in the corner of her eyes. She hated her emotions, wished that they wouldn’t break at moments when she wanted to be strong. ‘I’ve lived as a human,’ she said. ‘I’ve heard the rhetoric they’ve used against us, I know the hatred out there and by not speaking out, I’ve been a silent contributor to it. Genics will always be different, we’ve been made to be different and we have abilities that humans could only dream of having. They see us as a threat because we have a power that they can never achieve, we’ll never be able to be truly equal, because you’re only considered someone’s equal when you’re exactly like them, and no-one is the same as someone else. So how can two completely different species inhabiting this planet ever coexist in peace?’ Evie didn’t know where all that had come from but it had been building inside her for so long that she couldn’t just ignore it and think everything was going to be suddenly okay in the world because Galen was gone.
In the distance, the sound of propellers cut through the peace and a swarming gust of wind pushed down upon them and when they looked up Evie saw a helicopter coming into land, on the side of the black chopper was the old hazardous symbol that the Freedom State Army had adopted as their logo. The three arcs entwined together as a warning sign, that they were to be feared.
When the helicopter landed a few feet from them, Evie’s throat became a hard lump as she waited to see their old friend arrive. Her heart leapt a little when Evie saw Evans jump down, her stomach flipped, and part of her uneasiness became settled for a brief moment as she was grateful to see the man who had been by Kit’s side for nearly two decades. But as Evans approached them her stomach tightened again. His expression was downcast, solemn, his shoulders sagged and his walk had none of the confidence that Evie had grown used to seeing in him. He was a slender man that had muscles where they were needed, his black hair had started to grey at the sides, his eyes always shone with kindness when they saw each other, even now when he seemed so uncertain. He walked up to the deck as the blades of the helicopter whirred to a stop. Kit hugged him first and when Evie went to embrace him he held her
much tighter than she had expected. She could smell his aftershave lingering on his skin, but it was sweet like it belonged more to a woman. Evie decided it was best not to ask about his private life and gave him a comforting look as she clasped each of his arms.
‘Come inside,’ she offered and as she led him into the kitchen she saw he was moving slowly like he hadn’t slept well in a long time and he sat down heavily at the kitchen table. Evie poured him a cup of hot coffee and he took a deep gulp of it and looked more relaxed afterwards.
‘Thanks,’ he said.
‘No offence buddy but you look like hell,’ Kit was always one to be direct. ‘What’s been happening in Isa?’
Evie saw Evans avoid their gaze for a moment. Evie could see he was trying to work out the best way to answer. ‘It’s very different,’ he said. ‘We used to be a stable city, one where people were content with where they were living, but since the attack on us, and Galen’s…death, there’s been unrest, people are demanding answers from both sides and they’re getting angry.’
‘Including Genics?’ Evie asked.
Evans looked at her with downcast eyes. ‘They’re saying that we won’t be able to cope with a sudden influx of Genics if they’re all released from Volt.’
Evie saw Kit narrow her eyes. ‘And what do you say?’ She asked.
‘I have to agree with them,’ Evans said. ‘Cities across America are struggling as it is, and now Galen’s not here we’re going to struggle a whole lot more. We can’t get any more Gencis out if it’s just going to kill them.’
‘Are you saying it was better when Galen was alive?’ Evie asked.
‘No,’ Evans answered. ‘But this country is used to running on order, on a system, it wasn’t perfect, far from it, but it kept us going. Cities were given enough food to survive, enough jobs to function and now we’re going to have who knows how many more citizens flooding the streets and we’re fending for ourselves. Across the country food deliveries are already stopping because they don’t have the normal orders, jobs are being taken away, people are being forced out of their homes if people suspect they’re Genics and before long we’re going to crumble again.’
’So what’s the solution?’ The knot in Evie’s stomach tightened.
‘We need to ask for help,’ Evans told her. ‘We’re in contact again now with the other nations, they know Galen is dead and are being brought up to speed on everything that’s been happening here, but we’re at an impasse.’
‘Because of Evie?’ Kit’s voice was quieter now, as though she didn’t want to say what they were all thinking. ‘They want justice over what’s happened?’
‘There’s not going to be rest until there is,’ Evans said. ‘Humans are up in arms because they followed and believed in Galen so fiercely that they’re on the brink of rioting, Genics are worse, instead of rallying to join us as we had hoped, they now feel more at risk than before. Their whole way of life has been turned upside down and they don’t know what to do, so they’re lashing out at us.’
Evie walked over to the sink and rested her hands against the counter, her mind swam with confusion over everything that had happened because of something she had done. ‘Would this have always happened if Galen had been killed?’ She asked.
Evans turned to her. ‘It’s likely,’ he said. ‘We were never going to simply have a utopia after she was gone, the world wouldn’t be that kind to us.’
‘So what’s our plan of action?’ Kit asked. ‘Are we coming back to Isa with you?’
‘Yes,’ Evans said. ‘Princeps Cerkis is there, as are Lil and Rook, but we will be going to the underground bunker. If anyone sees you I’m not sure it will go down well.’
Evie nodded as Evans got to his feet and handed her the cup of coffee that was still half full. She let the black liquid swirl down the sink and went to get her bag as she began to prepare herself for what was to come.
The journey to Fort Isa had dragged out, it as though time had found a way to slow and was enjoying every moment of torture it brought. Kit and Evie had been sat next to each other for the duration of the trip, but Kit was growing restless. She hated sitting still at the best of times, but what was worse was when she was cooped up somewhere and couldn’t escape. She hated not having control of where she was and what she could do and it didn’t settle well with her. Evie had been quiet throughout the trip, Kit had grown used to this but she wished she could pull her out of herself, bring her more into the world but she could understand the fear and the dread she was feeling. One of the downsides of having powers that mimicked others was it had made Kit overly aware of other people’s emotions. She could feel Evie’s stiff neck, the tightness of her joints and the persistent grip on her stomach. She knew the feeling of guilt over what she had done and she was worried about what it was doing to her, especially if Evie didn’t do something soon it would consume her.
Kit looked down at the landscape below them, the mountains faded away to barren landscape for a good few miles before the outskirts of Fort Isa appeared. It had once been an old military city and had been quite populous when the state had once been known as Indiana. Established as part of the American Revolutionary War, Kit wondered how apt it was that it was now the center for which a new war was going to begin. The outlying districts were home to farmland mostly and the airfield, as they got closer to the city the main military base came into view and Kit felt her heart settle. She was at home when she was on a base, when she was with soldiers and when she was in a place where she could do something. Fort Isa was different to her own base in the Stacks, they had more space and more freedom to move and practice training. The Stacks was more makeshift and had been designed as best it could be with what little they had. When Kit thought of the place she had once called home and of the bombs that had been dropped on it, her heart sank. Galen had destroyed what little they had. The place that had been their sanctuary was gone and once again Kit felt homeless. She looked over at Evie and took her hand, Evie squeezed it gently and Kit eased as her heart settled once more. She was determined they would come through this, whatever would happen.
The helicopter began its descent and when it landed and the doors opened, Kit was grateful for the gust of cold wind that greeted them. Evie jumped down behind her and stood close to her. Kit took her hand again and they followed Evans down into the bunker.
It was mid-day, soldiers were at various workstations across the base and as they descended the walkway to the labyrinth of rooms below the surface Kit saw Evie pull the hood on her jacket up over her head. ‘Why did Jack have to be given the ability to be invisible?’ She asked. ‘It would come in super handy right about now.’
‘You weren’t created to be invisible,’ Kit told her but wasn’t sure Evie picked up on the reassurance. They passed a small number of soldiers who were heading overground, they walked in silent formation but one glanced over to them. He gave a small nod and quickly regained focus.
‘See?’ Kit gently elbowed her.
They turned the corner and entered Evans’ office. He had moved from the small cave he had claimed when Kit was last at the base, this office was much larger, with multiple tables, papers everywhere and information pinned to the walls. It was also distinctly cooler and she felt Evie’s skin shiver slightly.
‘Welcome to our new war room,’ Evans said.
‘Impressive,’ Kit nodded as she looked around the walls at the various clippings from reports Evans had pinned up.
There was a movement behind Evans and Kit dropped Evie’s hand, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as her heart pounded quickly, her body always seemed to be trained to be on alert and she quickly turned around. They lowered their guard when they saw Princeps Cerkis emerge from the shadow. The dark-skinned woman was dressed in her usual long scarlet robe, her braided hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head and was wrapped in a colourful gold and brown scarf. She had the scent of flowers drifting from her that always made Kit think of mothers. She had with
her two guards, as was her usual custom, they were shadow men, there simply to hold guns and fire if needed. Cerkis had been the leader of the Council in the Stacks, the official representative of Genics with Galen and had worked closely with Kit over the years as they had tried to establish a new home for the Genics who had managed to escape. Cerkis had managed to convince the Galen government that completely wiping out the Stacks would be bad for them and a paper thin peace treaty had been established. Kit had never been privy to the full details but had never taken for granted the work that must have been done to accomplish any form of peace with their dictator.
‘Princeps Cerkis,’ Kit said and held out her hand. Cerkis took it and greeted her with a warm smile, a comforting sensation rippled through Kit, the same one she had experienced whenever her mother had hugged her after a long day, Cerkis was always someone who helped her remember fondly the relationship Kit had with her parents, and she always appreciated her for that.
‘Katarina,’ Cerkis said quietly and drew her in for a small embrace. ‘I’m glad to see you here. Both of you,’ she said and looked over to Evie. ‘You look like you’re quite distressed,’ she commented.
‘With good reason,’ Kit said. ‘We’ve been living with radio silence for a little too long and need to know what’s happening.’
‘Yes,’ Cerkis said. ‘It’s been quite busy since you’ve been away. We’ve been in communication with our foreign counterparts for the first time in nearly a century and it’s quite strange.’
’Strange how?’ Kit asked as Evans guided them over to a table.
Redux Page 2