Chapter 33 - Iris Lawton - Countdown
December 31, 3040 11:57 PM
I walk outside of my quaint little cabin and breathe in the crisp winter air. I have a large coat on and I sip on freshly brewed hot chocolate. My legs tread through the snow as I lose myself in the millions of stars that fill the sky. The moon is glowing, radiating its bright blue and green shade across the landscape. It's quiet, the only thing I hear is the rustling of pine trees in the wind.
The Northern Lights flicker across the sky so beautifully. Its illumination is vibrant and haunting. The colors dance wildly, the stars are their partners. It's a sight that I thought I would never see.
It's been over a month since my ordeal in Primm. After my brother died, along with his murderer, Fenrir Snow helped me escape from that hellhole. He confirmed that I was dead to his superiors and we waited until nightfall to make our move. The Li station had been damaged, but Fenrir made the quick fix and it became usable, so I said goodbye to my home and left Primm forever.
We secretly arrived in the Wolf's Den, the northern part of Canada. We journeyed far away from the cities, deep into seclusion. Using his contacts, he found me this abandoned cabin in the woods. It was rundown and empty, but in a month, I was able to shape it into my home. Thanks to the insta-item he provided me, I'm able to get what I need to survive out in the cold. It's now furnished and I have enough food to last me for months. It's just a start and eventually I'll have to figure out a way to make credits to sustain myself. Perhaps I can sell things via the infospace, while continuing to live anonymously. I can't rely on Fenrir forever, but, for now, I am happy with what little I have.
I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. When he shot his partner and I saw the dog fall limply to the ground, I was stunned. I thought I was going to die right there and then, but when I looked up, I only saw the affliction on Fenrir's face. He looked tired and weary. Perhaps he was broken from all the death that evening. I felt the same way and when he came to comfort me, I could sense his grief, his conflicted feelings. I hugged him because he needed one.
He still stops by once in a while, to make sure I'm safe, and in this short month, we've gained a mutual respect for each other. Hell, it's not even that, I'd say we've become foundations for each other.
I consider this wolf that had a heart of stone as my family, not as a replacement for what I've lost, but an addition to what I will remember. And, although he doesn't say it, I have a feeling I've become the one thing in this world that has helped him come into terms with himself, his purpose in this world.
That is a bond that cannot break.
I look in the darkness of the forest and it reminds me of the way I would view the world when I was young. I would look from my front porch in that house in Primm and see such a mysterious and hardened place. I was afraid of what it would bring to me, I was afraid of all the things my mother told me. There was so much uncertainty that it scared me. The only experience I had with living was in the confines of that house. Knowing that one day, I would face what lied beyond, it terrified me. I looked at my future and I saw the same darkness I see in the trees now.
When mother died, and then Leonard, and then all the others, I felt my fears were justified. We had faced so much adversity and all we wanted to do was to be left alone. That was really it. Oscar wanted to live in peace alone in Primm and even Tiago, though hard headed and angry, just wanted to be left alone on the Moon. But the powers that be couldn't let us go and the ones I loved paid the price.
Yet here I am, the last one, the last halfkind, and I suppose I've done what my brothers wanted, I'm living in solitude. If only they could see me now, they would be so proud.
I take a sip from my hot chocolate and realize that it's getting cold, so I walk back into the cabin. A fire is burning in the fireplace and I cozy up in front of it. I turn on my video feed so I can catch the countdown to the new year. The screen captures the atmosphere. Crowds are cheering, some drunk, but all look so happy. I see humans partying with dogs, pigs sharing the moment with tigers, rhinos and crocodiles downing a New Year's toast together.
The moment looks so joyous and I think that could've been us. We could've been mingling with all these animals, we could've had the good times with them. If only things had been different.
Exactly five hundred years ago, the animals started their fight for freedom. It seems I'm starting mine as well.
I sit in the cabin and observe the scene, my first New Year's Eve alone. I'm a bit envious. They don't know what they have. I didn't know, until I lost it all. But I won't let it get me down. For the first time in my life, I feel hopeful about my future. I don't know what it will bring, but I promise myself, I won't be afraid anymore.
It's 11:59, and the countdown starts.
Five?four?three?two?one.
Happy New Year.
Chapter 34 - The Superior - Postscript
January 1, 3041 9:05 AM
"Working on a holiday?" Bastion says to me as he walks into my office.
"Of course," I say. "You know there are always things to be done."
"I sure do," he replies.
"I take it you're here to give me your status. I understand you've finished your report."
"I have."
"And?" I ask curiously.
"As you detailed in your findings, Maya Lawton died of synconium poisoning. It seems it was caused by our implants."
"That's a shame," I say disappointedly. "I hate it when our work goes to waste. And what of her children?"
"The United Species Alliance acted fast. They sent in a team to hunt and kill them."
"Did they notice you?" I say sternly.
"Negative, sir, I was able to follow their movements unseen."
"Good. So what of her children?"
"The Alliance was able to kill ten of them," he tells me. "But, fortunately, the one you're interested in still lives."
"Excellent!" I exclaim. "So, where is she?"
"That's the thing sir, she disappeared," he says. I'm mildly annoyed by the news, but he carries on. "The United Species Alliance thinks she's dead, but she was aided by the wolf agent, Fenrir Snow. They vanished through a teleporter. I should've stopped them."
"No, that's quite all right, Bastion. Remember, we are to remain in the dark at all costs."
"Understood. Since they left Primm, we've failed to find any clues on Iris Lawton's location."
"Well our priority is to find her. She's different from the others," I say to a concerned Bastion. "She's special."
About The Author
Andrew Vu is a novelist who was born in San Jose, CA. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 2007 and currently resides in Oakland, CA. During his spare time, he enjoys movies, video games, and watching sports. He roots for his California Golden Bears, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Golden State Warriors, and the Oakland A's.
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends