Daughter of Ethos

by L M Lacee

  The first one world Government had been formed only after years of the Virus ravaging the world. Once many years ago, the world used to hold elections to select a new Government. There had been talk of starting that again but with the Coalition here now, Darby thought that was unlikely. She did wonder if they would maintain the status quo. She had been told that when members of the Government passed away or just decided they did not wish to serve any longer, like former president Powers. They were replaced, usually with like-minded people.

  Darby smiled when she remembered reading, how when they had first gathered a Government together, they had been inundated with immediate and far-reaching problems. From what she had read, deciding on where to govern from had taken months to agree on. Eventually, they decided on the general assembly building that had housed the United Nations in New York City. Their next order of business had been to divide the world, and that had taken almost three years. Then it had taken them five years to decide on a plan of action to combat the Virus and then countless years to enact it.

  Fear, Melody told her one night, was a double-edge sword. On one edge, fear could cripple a person physically and mentally. On the other edge, fear could be a great motivator. Darby knew this to be true, she had faced both edges as it seemed the Government did.

  Not knowing when there would be another outbreak of the Virus and if it would mutate again, haunted the Government as well as the people they were responsible for. The fear they wrestled with had held Darby hostage since she was old enough to understand life was tenuous at best.

  Sadly, her fear had not been for the world but entirely for herself. She had been haunted every waking moment with the thought that she would be the one remaining person left in the world. Now she no longer had the same fear, and she definitely was no longer alone. No one would be able to coerce or guilt her into doing their dirty work again. It was amazing how having people who understood the world better than you did and cared enough for you, helped to keep you from falling off the right path and changed your outlook on life.

  Sighing she leaned back on her elbows, such a short amount of time had passed since that time, and yet so much was different, daily she struggled to cope with all the changes. What she was going to do now though, this change was huge and scared her more than any of the others so far. Even the thought of death did not freak her out as much as leaving everything she knew and knowing she was never going to return. Now that was big!

  A slight noise alerted her to someone’s arrival, it never ceased to amaze her that she was always found by one of her friends. Not that she hid intentionally, but years of living on her own made the constant presence of someone always in the house with her hard to live with at times, which is when she crept up here to her sanctuary. Now as she thought about that, she realized she wanted less alone time than she had in the past, maybe she was growing up.

  Melody’s head emerged from the attic steps, causing Darby to sigh, thankful it was her. She was still a little annoyed with Peyton, and Heather’s brand of comfort would be too soft tonight. Melody’s, on the other hand, was tough and usually fair. As she climbed the rest of the way on to the roof, she called out.

  ‘Hey girl, you brooding?’

  ‘Yeah, it seems to be a night for it.’

  Melody walked carefully along the roof’s edge, heights irritated her for some reason. She assumed that was why she had chosen the Army and not the Air Force to serve in, as some of her family had.

  With an empty glass in one hand and another almost full bottle of scotch in the other, she found a comfortable seat on one of the large cushions Peyton had placed here when they had found out Darby sneaked up here.

  She said as she poured herself a drink. ‘Yeah, I get that, so what have you been thinking about?’

  Darby looked at her out the corner of her eye, saying softly. ‘Sending the message!’

  ‘Well, no going back now.’

  ‘I know still…’

  ‘What Darby… you and your team did nothing wrong. No one, least of all you, would have... could have known what the Government, the treacherous, back-stabbing bastards that they are were going to do.’

  Darby laughed a little. ‘Say it like it is general!’

  Melody smirked as she answered. ‘Ha-ha! It is still true.’

  Darby sighed heavily. ‘I know you are right. I really do, it is just I didn’t believe there would be an answer. You know?’

  ‘I know sweetie, I know…’

  Melody trailed off keeping her thoughts to herself, as Darby remembered she really had not thought there would be an answer. She was like all the others on her team who had thought it was a foolish hope. But to their and the Government’s surprise, within a few short months after the message had been sent an answer was received.

  ‘Seriously Darby!’ Melody reproved softly. ‘Who knew they would sell us all out, that is on them, not you!’ She took a healthy swallow of her drink and felt the anger she kept buried surface to the forefront of her mind. Who would have thought the Government she had respected and trained so hard for, given her youth to? Would sell her and the people of Earth out for technology, the world would eventually have discovered for themselves. When, as Darby said, they would be ready to understand and use it.

  At the same time Darby and Melody were staring morosely at the flying shuttles overhead and discussing the next few weeks of work they had to do.

  Heather was at the medical clinic finishing up for the night and listening to the news from the Undernet. While she sipped her tea, she once more read the report she and Darby were compiling to broadcast to the populace. Peyton wanted something to let them know what was happening to the women of Earth and why. They were using the information Darby had stolen many months previously. As well as disclosing the secret agreement between the Coalition and the Government, which had initiated them all coming together. Heather had been saddened and angered at the audacity of the Government’s actions. These people were supposed to care for their people not auction them off. It made no sense to her, why they were doing so and she could not shake the feeling there was something else going on.

  Secretly she believed this Entity, the Star Child was solely responsible for what was happening, part of her thought they made it so Peyton would have to leave. In her quiet moments she wondered if after they met Peyton they realized unless all of them were allowed to go with her, she would not take up the mantle of Star Daughter. That was if she had a choice and she was assuming Peyton did. It seemed plausible to her, divinity ran by their own rules.

  Shaking her head to dispel her unwanted thoughts, she began reading what Darby had written so far...

  Thanks to a quirk of genetics, the women of Earth have become a very sought-after commodity. Due to one simple inescapable fact; Human DNA is malleable.

  It has been proven that human women can and will be able to breed with almost any alien species. It also appears we have been doing so since humanity started walking upright. Races of aliens have been coming to our planet for centuries and abducting women with or without past Government's knowledge and or approval.

  What the Coalition’s scientists have discovered is that breeding can potentially start as soon as women are introduced to a new planet. In some cases while they are still in transit, of course eggs can and are being fertilized on Earth. As we compile this document…

  That was all she had completed, Heather had not even started her report yet, each time she went to write it, sadness assailed her along with her doubts and anger.

  Again, she thought it was unfair that Darby got to write all about facts. Her contribution, was to write about how women were being used and what was eventually going to happen, to not only them but to the population of Earth. What she wanted to write about was the rage and hopelessness she was feeling and the guilt she lived with daily.

  She brushed the hair from her face as she sighed. She was just like Darby and all the other scientists who had given up looking for a cure to the Vir
us. She bitterly laughed at she thought back on the last years of her life.

  She had been the only girl born in over four generations to her family. In some ways she would admit she had been pampered and protected. She was lucky enough to have been educated alongside her cousins in countries all over the world. Either with her parents or other beloved members of her family.

  When the Virus appeared, she had been a happy carefree ten-year-old, her path into the world of medicine decided and as the years passed, it never wavered. Even when she lived through all of her family’s deaths. She like her parents had believed they were all resistant to the Virus.

  Sadly this was not to be, thankfully her mother and father had lived long enough to finish her education. Both of them finally succumbing to the Virus on an island in a remote part of the world, which until then had been unaffected by the Virus. Her parents along with the twenty-two hundred inhabitants, died before Heather could reach them.

  Until she had come to live with Peyton, Melody and Darby, who had dislodged the ice around her heart, she had not realized how much she had quarantined her feelings. Not allowing herself to love or to feel anything other than bitterness. She knew it was her unreasonable anger at her parents for being fallible, for being human and dying, that had made her keep her heart encased in ice. Her only reason for existing became her determination to find a cure which she would never do now. She groaned in frustration, rubbing her tired eyes as she thought about what had happened and what was going to happen. She and everyone else on Earth were here today with what amounted to an alien invasion and would have been termed so, when she was a child.

  They, the aliens were supposed to be here to eradicate the Virus and make the world whole again. Now she and the others knew it was not a normal Virus and there was no cure. Even before the appearance of Sunshoona, Darby had discovered the aliens were not here to help; they had another agenda, and it was just to pillage the world of its DNA.

  Heather felt her heart clench when she remembered her arrival in town, was it really just a few months ago? So much had happened since then, it felt like it had been years. She thought about Melody who was filled with anger at being dismissed from the army and Darby’s fear of change and her deeper fear of being left alone. Peyton’s worry that she would disappoint everyone. She wondered if she still worried about that, what with her being some wondrous Entity, who was meant to rule some far off universe? Dear heavens, should she be worried about Peyton or herself, and the others who were planning on following her to that same universe.

  She shook her head in dismay; they were about to go off into the unknown, with men she had no idea whether she liked or not. She acknowledged she felt sympathy for the Warriors and their enforced servitude but was she really willing to leave her world and the people who needed her here. Just because they tugged at her newly awakened heart strings.

  She was so confused and so tired of not knowing what was right and what she should do. She wished she had a sign that said. Stay or go!

  Growling softly again in annoyance at her indecision, she wanted to slap herself silly, and if she was honest which she was trying to be. She felt bad for abandoning her home and the remaining people of Earth, for a dream… a hope! For an uncertain future with an uncertain Entity, that could do what?

  That was the most frightening aspect of this endeavour, not knowing what lay ahead of them all. Maybe it was all a fools dream or maybe she could have a different life, a life where she was not alone. Just maybe there would be someone out there in space for her. Loneliness wrapped its nasty fingers around her heart as tears gathered in her eyes.

  She moved from her desk to look out the window at the darkness and admitted for the first time, since they had made the agreement with the Warriors. She was scared, so very scared of what they were planning to do.

  Her eyes followed a Warrior as he moved slowly along the sidewalk, by the way he moved she would bet it was the young man Willian. She could tell he had been severely injured; the signs were obvious and yet she thought he would never dwell on the pain he had to be in. He stopped and shot his arm out as a small older female tripped, when she went to pass him, saving her from a nasty fall.

  Heather squinted, oh, it was Brenda. Helen and Esther’s friend, the three ladies had come in the second wave of rescues and were strong, independent women.

  Heather liked and admired every one of them and secretly wanted to be just like them when she grew up. She smiled to herself as she thought maybe every woman wanted to be a Helen, Esther or Brenda, or maybe a mix of all three. They were well liked and respected, even adored in some cases.

  Heather thought that Brenda somehow reminded Peyton of her grandmother, not in appearance, more she thought, in her gently nature. When Peyton spoke of her grandmother which was rarely, she implied her grandmother either had a will of iron, or was way too soft to live in a world ravaged by the Virus.

  Heather could never quite figure out which one it was and as she stood at the window staring at the couple, she realized that Peyton had no idea either. She grinned as she thought of Peyton and the way she squirmed when Esther, Brenda or Helen gave her the parent look. The one mothers gave their children when they were being ridiculous.

  Her grin softened as she watched the Warrior and Brenda talking, whatever she was saying caused him to give her a nod and she bet a shy smile. Then Brenda placed her hand on his arm, and they walked slowly to her house.

  Heather leaned her forehead against the window and closed her eyes, knowing regardless of what her mind said, her heart told her she was leaving, it would be impossible to deny these terribly brave men and women who had faith they were going to have a new life.

  These people needed her just as much, if not more than the people she was leaving behind. Ruefully she thought of her friend Patty who she had coerced into coming here to Runnerdale, so she could leave with her.

  Plus what of her three friends, who had made it possible for her to feel again, who had moved from friends to family? She was kidding herself, thinking she could abandon them. She would be lost without their quirky senses of humor, which managed to keep them all balanced. Not to mention the abundance of love they showered her with. Yeah, she was going!

  She opened her eyes and turned back to her desk, flipped the report into her briefcase and stretched from side to side. Letting the tension slide from her shoulders, then she switched off her desk lamp, calling out as she did. ‘I am leaving Janet.’

  ‘Okay, Heather, we are ready.’

  She sighed again, not from indecision now, more in exasperation and excitement, this was another one of those changes. She had a guard now… seriously a guard who escorted her from her home to the clinic, a matter of yards from one place to the other.

  Janet, her lead guard and several others walked with her to her home. She stood at the curb and looked up to the roof, and sure enough her sisters were there.

  Melody raised her glass to Heather as Darby called down softly. ‘Coming up? We have your beer.’

  She laughed as she showed her the cooler. Janet murmured with a smile. ‘It looks as though you were expected.’

  ‘So it seems. Thank you for the escort. Goodnight and keep safe.’

  Janet saluted her as her guards all chorused goodnight. She entered her home where she dumped her bags on the kitchen table before climbing the attic ladder.

  ‘Hello you two, have any of you seen Peyton?’

  They both answered. ‘No.’

  Heather sat beside Melody and wiggled until she was comfortable saying. ‘Huh! Wonder what she is up too.’

  Melody shrugged. ‘Probably scheming, that woman can sure scheme!’

  ‘Yep, speaking of scheming, did your friend come?’ Darby asked Heather, who grinned as she replied.

  ‘Yes, she arrived this morning, and her name is Patty Cooper. She is very clever, you will like her. Melody did you get hold of your friend, Netta?’

  ‘No, the woman I spoke to told me to call tonight.
I suppose this is as good a time as any.’

  Heather took the bottle and glass Darby passed her, which was not beer. Darby always called her wine, beer. Heather thought it was because she thought wine was a girly drink. Melody said it was because Darby liked whiskey. This explanation made no sense to Heather, but it made Darby laugh whenever she said it, so that was worth it. Beer was Peyton’s drink, and whiskey was Darby and Melody’s. She liked wine and this white wine was exceedingly nice, where Peyton got it from was something she wasn’t telling. She poured herself a glass while Darby asked Melody what Netta was like.

  Melody took a drink of her whiskey as she thought of her friend. ‘How the hell do I describe Netta?’

  She smiled as she thought of her friend. ‘Okay, so her name is Netta Howl, she would be...’ She squinted up at the sky as she thought.

  ‘Yeah, I think she would be almost thirty, she is disciplined and has to be an inch or so taller than me, so that would make her around six-two. Her mom was from Africa, and her dad was descended from Native Americans. I am fairly sure she told me once, he was Sioux, but don’t quote me on that. I do remember her telling me she was lucky to have lived with people who were the best of their cultures.

  Netta’s parents loved her very much as she did them, which may have been because she was an only child, she never talked of there being other family. Whether that was because she did not actually have any or they ignored her. I never asked, and she never volunteered the information. I do know she and her parents lived all over the world, I am unsure what her parents did for employment. I don’t think I asked.’

  She shook her head. ‘Shame on me, I should have. Anyway, when they were taken by the Virus. Netta was left alone, so she joined the army and we became friends and when she left, we stayed in touch. You should know she is deadly.’