Sky of Dust: The Last Weapon Read online

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  “I was so worried. I have been waiting for an hour,” Abigail said in a relieved voice.

  “Oh, everything was all right; it was just that Peter decided to take a nap a few times,” Miss Curtiss said, waving to Peter who was plastered in a crust of brown mud.

  Peter went limp, and it was almost impossible to keep him supported, so Casey threw him over his shoulder.

  “I got him,” Casey said and turned to Miss Curtiss. “How much further?”

  “It is just another mile or so down this way,” she said as she started to head down the road on the right.

  We passed a few barriers that had warning signs not to pass.

  “These signs say do not pass,“ I said.

  “Wow, you can read!” Abigail shot sarcastically.

  I could feel my face go red, so I slowed down so she would not see it.

  “Bah, they are just to scare the townsfolk. When I came, they had no other houses left, so they put me out here. I suppose they thought it was harsh to put me all the way out here by my lonesome, but they were wrong. Ha-ha,” Miss Curtis said in surprisingly high spirits.

  I thought for a second.

  “Wait, you showed up last year, didn’t you?” I started. “Around same time Abigail showed up.”

  “See Abigail, he is not as thick as you made him out to be,” Miss Curtis said with amusement.

  I felt like being rammed in the gut by…well, Abigail. I mean, what would make her think I was stupid?

  “We’ll see,” she said with little confidence.

  I could never catch a break.

  “Miss Curtiss, how did…” I began to ask, but Miss Curtiss interrupted.

  “Stop calling me Miss Curtiss; it makes me sound so old. I am only twenty-seven; don't let my disguise fool you! You can call me Mary while we are out of class.”

  “Twenty-seven is old,” Casey said in wonderment.

  I knew what he meant. He meant that twenty-seven was old for most people to reach. You did not see many old people around. Most of the kids left in their mid to late teens to go into the Guards, so it was kind of understandable. We were told that, once the Guards were no longer fit for service, they lived in their own community, which was supposed to be top notch. They do not have to worry about food, or work, or getting sick. Supposedly.

  Miss Curtiss turned her head and glared at Casey. It was amazing how she could turn her head that much and still walk straight.

  Abigail chuckled then went back to looking serious. Maybe there was a person in that pretty shell after all.

  “Sorry, I didn't mean…” Casey started but trailed off.

  We arrived at a modest sized house at the base of a small mountain. Rocks had slid down and partially crushed the garage, and there were a few broken windows, but it actually looked cozy. Plenty of space for a family, let alone a single woman.

  As we approached the door, I caught a glimpse of the curtain to the right of the door move. Casey must have seen it too because he stopped and was looking in that direction.

  “I thought you lived alone?” I asked Mary.

  “Don’t worry; he is just a house guest that showed up last year. He is harmless,” Mary replied as she turned the doorknob.

  She waived us in.

  I stopped before I entered. “But if we go through the door, we can be tracked!”

  Mary’s mouth opened in a white toothy grin. “I deactivated it.”

  “Really?” I hesitated. “You can do that?”

  “Try and see,” she urged.

  I walked through the door and looked at the small screen near the entrance. Sure enough, my name was not recorded as entering.

  “Amazing,” I said.

  “Not amazing. Well, I am amazing, but it is really old technology,” she said as she tied to navigate Casey and Peter through the door so Peter’s head would not hit the door.

  A few minutes later and a few more bumps on Peter’s head, and we were sitting on soft couches. The one Casey, Peter, and I sat on was missing the legs on one side, so I made sure I was on the high part. Peter was still out of it, so we placed him on the bottom.

  Abigail sat in a chair by herself. Mary went to “freshen up,” which seemed like forever.

  When Mary returned and sat on the loveseat facing us, I thought she was someone completely different. Without her wig, glasses, the cake of makeup, and now in normal clothes, she looked like she was in her twenties. Her hair was silky brown, and her pale white skin looked full and healthy.

  Great, I thought to myself, I hit two pretty women in one day.

  Mary stared at us in silence for a few seconds.

  “Right,” she said. “Don, can you bring our guests some tea please?”

  I heard movement at the entrance of the sitting area, like someone was trying to eavesdrop. I soon heard water running and the sound of a pot being set on a grate.

  Mary took a deep breath and held it for second.

  “What I am about to tell you, you must not speak of to anyone, you understand?” Mary said sternly.

  Casey and I exchanged looks and nodded.

  “Uhh,” Peter whined. “What happened? Where are we? My head hurts. Why are you sitting on me?”

  “Sorry about that,” Casey said. “I meant about the head, and the mud, and sitting on you.”

  Casey tried to scoot over while Peter started to pick mud and grass from his mouth.

  “Ahh, good. You're awake, so I don't have to repeat myself!” Mary said.

  “Miss Curtiss,” Peter said, dreamily and confused. “You’re pretty…You had a gun!”

  He tried to stand up, but Casey grabbed his arm and held him down.

  “Shh, Peter, it’s all right; just calm down,” Casey urged as he put his hand over Peter’s mouth.

  Peter nodded, and Casey removed his hands.

  Peter looked around.

  “Wh-what happened?” he managed to stutter.

  “You were shot,” Mary said.

  “By Dalyn,” Abigail added.

  I was starting to dislike this girl.

  Peter looked at me in shock.

  “But you weren’t hurt!” Casey chimed in. “You’re special, right Mary?”

  Mary nodded.

  A young, dark skinned guy with an almost shaven head walked in and set some glasses and a teapot on the table between us.

  “Don? Donald?” I asked.

  He looked shocked.

  “You are the one who killed Coach Roach’s dog last year! I remember you,” I exclaimed. “Everyone thought you were dead or something.”

  “I ran. I found this place. I did not think anyone would come looking for me past the signs in the road, so I hid in the garage. Then…” Donald’s voice trailed off.

  “Then there was a landslide,” Mary continued. “He was trapped under the rocks. There was no way I could leave him, but I could not get him out. I went and got Abigail. She was able to move the rocks. Unfortunately, one of his legs was beyond repair. Skin and tissue I can heal, but bones are beyond my skill set.”

  “You did what you could,” Donald said. “Besides it does not hurt. I just have bit of a limp. Better than not having a leg.”

  He walked in a circle to demonstrate. He lifted his pants up, and his left leg had a slight curve inwards towards is right leg.

  I turned to Mary.

  “So wait, you mean you are a doctor?” I asked. “And what do you mean she ‘picked up the rocks’?”

  Donald sat down next to Mary.

  “Let me start from the beginning. I know it may be hard to understand or believe, but what I am about to tell you is the truth,” Mary said.

  I leaned forward and grabbed a cup of hot tea that I would not even drink.

  Chapter 4

  “According to Renatus history, the people rebelled against the government seventy-seven years ago. This is partly true. What they failed to tell you was that it was fueled by arms dealers, people who sell weapons for profit. With the US at peace, these arms
dealers began to lose money. They formed an organization called The Lost Sons. It not only had members from the US, but from all around the world.

  “The Lost Sons began sponsoring presidents and infiltrating government agencies. They began weaving lies and manipulating recourses to make the people uneasy. Then, when the country was at its weakest, they led the people against the government they created.

  “According to the Renatus government, the rebels won, only to be invaded by foreign powers and forced into the East. This is false. It was too late when people began to realize their mistakes—that they had been fooled. Many of the people who were used by The Lost Sons began to regret their decisions and tried to correct them. They were able to organize what was left of the US government and fled to the West. This strategy was the only way the war could be stopped.

  “If the US was able distance themselves from the rebels and show that they were united in the West, and not attack the East, then the people of the East would not want to retaliate. This worked, but both sides still have nukes aimed at each other as we speak. The Lost Sons formed the Renatus government and fabricated what really happened so they would have control of their people and their own private army. In a way, they gained much more than they had originally hoped to gain. They wanted money; now they have their own country.”

  Mary took a sip of tea before she continued.

  “Now things start getting dirtier. Both the remaining US and Renatus governments were weakened, and their populations were dwindling. That’s when Renatus implemented their five child rule. They claimed it was to boost their population, which was true, but they also did it to make their own private army. They would train your so called “Honor Guards” and ship them to places all over the world for anyone who could afford it. The Guards are simply told that they are fighting against their enemies, and they obey. It is ingenious when you think about how, after all these years, they still can put fear of war in your faces and claim they are keeping peace.

  “When no one is looking for soldiers to buy, then Renatus will force the Guards to fight each other. They don't know they are fighting their own people of course. They take fresh young recruits and place them on one side and tell them they are the last line of defense against the enemy. Then they send a group of the weak and injured against them, telling them they are attacking an enemy base. As you may realize, the battles are pretty one sided.

  “The US government looks down at this, but lacks the man power to do anything about it. Instead of focusing on population, they have focus on technology, you see.

  "Speaking of population, the Renatus government has built ‘population factories.’ You can probably imagine what goes on there. I will not go into any details, but, once a child is two or three, they are placed with a parent. That is why they have become less strict with their law. It is to boost morale and to show false signs that things are getting better.”

  Mary took a breath and looked around the room to make sure everyone was absorbing what she was saying.

  I could not speak. I had so many emotions racing through my mind I was getting dizzy. Anger, confusion, disappointment, and denial were just a few.

  If this was all true, then what of my dad? Was he one of the injured or weak that they sent to slaughter?

  I looked to my right to see how the other two were taking it. Casey was sitting wide eyed and appeared to be studying Mary to see if she was playing a joke on him. Peter had his forehead resting in the palm of his hands, staring at the floor. It must be hard for him to hear about the Honor Guard part. His older brother and sister had both volunteered to be in the Guard.

  Abigail was leaning back in her chair with a look of pity on her face. When our eyes made contact, she glanced away and pretended to be looking at a dusty picture above the couch.

  Donald was looking at the floor, fidgeting with a tear in his pants. He had probably heard this story before, but it must not be easy hearing it again.

  Mary started up again.

  “Back in the Uprising, the US loyal had exhausted their arsenal. They believed that both sides could unite and didn’t want to risk further collateral damage.

  “The only defense they had to rely on that would not cause mass casualties was an experimental nerve gas, CC1586—an odorless and colorless gas, which would place people into a temporary false coma almost immediately. It was almost perfect. During the tests, it just took one breath before the test subjects would pass out. It was their last weapon.

  "Caravan after caravan raced to the West where they hoped they would be safe. The rebels sent their best to slaughter the defenseless refugees. The US loyal anticipated the move and deployed what was left of their Air Force and rockets to unleash the CC1586 gas on incoming troops and enemy strongholds. The rebel forces were in panic. Imagine people just collapsing all around you with no signs of foul play. But not everyone who came in contact with the CC1586 gas had fallen victim. A small percentage, about 5%, were immune to the gas’s effects.

  “After a few days, most of the people infected by the gas had awakened. The Lost Sons, outraged by their failure, ordered all able troops to prepare to invade the West. They rallied at the Naval Air Station Meridian in Ohio. They would never have the chance to invade though. As if on cue, everyone who was infected by the CC1586 began to have headaches then turn violent. Accounts from soldiers not infected said it happened so quickly that they thought it was some sort of ambush.

  “The infected started attacking each other and seemed to lose all sense of reason. Then, just as fast as it started, they collapsed dead. The medics on duty claimed that their brains had expanded in their skulls, causing them to be forced through their noses. Again, there were a small percent that did not have a reaction.

  “Considering the bodies tainted, they ordered them to be buried and burned—a mass grave for thousands of soldiers.

  “The Lost Sons realized that, with this blow, they would not be able to invade the West. They also realized that if the US loyal had all fled to the West, they could claim the East as their own.

  “Both sides were at a stalemate. Neither side wanted to force each other’s hand. The West began to rebuild and to focus on development of weapons and ways to effectively be self-reliant. The East focused on rebuilding their population. At first, it was to ensure that they had the bodies to defend their section of the country, but it later proved immensely profitable to sell soldiers.

  “Those who were present when the CC1586 was released and those who were infected and did not suffer the mental breakdown slipped back into the population. They had kids…many kids.

  “Somehow, the infected parents passed on a part of the gas mutation to their children. It is kind of like how a roach becomes immune to a poison if it is able to live through it and passes the immunity on to the next generation. Instead of poison, it was a way that the children could control more of their mind. Instead of coma, their brains were able to work beyond normal capacity.

  “The children were identifiable by their lack of focus and frequent head pains. Many of the children died early on. It was simply too much for them to handle. A majority who lived into their teens ended up going mad. But it was not these defects that caught The Lost Sons’ attention. It was the fact that each child had a special trait.

  “They received reports of kids pushing down walls, running unmistakably fast, falling down a mountain or stabbed yet there were no scratches to be seen, and injuries fading in minutes. These children were rounded up along with anyone else that fit the description of potentially having some sort of special ability.

  “They fabricated the story of some sort of disease so the normal people would keep an eye out and turn them in.

  “The Lost Sons raised and studied the children. They realized that, if they could somehow control the skills of the children, it would be extremely profitable. They began to breed them and sell them for premiums. They never lived long though.

  “The more a person who is infected tries to use thei
r skill, the more chance that the CC1586 virus would self-destruct. The children of those who never had a reaction to the CC1586 gas have more control over their power and have a less limits on what they can do.

  “This mutation is passed from generation to generation. Naturally, your government wants to make sure none of these infected people are out in the population. Many slip by unnoticed or by some fluke chance that the mutation is just dormant so they exhibit no signs of being infected.

  “People who showed traits of being infected got scared. No one who was taken by the government has ever come back. They started to flee to the West, hoping for a better life and a cure.

  “Once in the West, the US government began to study them individually. They found a way to suppress the mutation, as well as control their abilities. While they proceed to use their abilities, they are in less pain and able to sustain themselves for longer.”

  Mary pointed at Abigail’s wrist.

  “That watch has a breakdown of the CC1586 virus that acts as the control. One side contains only key parts that were identified relaxing the brain. The other side contains the stimulation part. The relaxing agent is released in microscopic amounts at the base and is absorbed through her skin. If she triggers the stimulant part, both sides work together to balance out her mind to co-op with the use of her abilities.”

  “So, what about you?” I asked. “If you can heal people, then why don’t you have a watch?”

  “Well, I am one of the special cases,” Mary replied. “Since my ability relies on my personal injury or the injury of others, I am able to control when I want to use it. It doesn’t make it any less painful or dangerous. I can burn myself out like anyone else. For Donald’s case, I had to borrow Abigail’s watch to balance the stress that was on my mind. It is a tacky thing to wear also.”

  “So why are you here?” I asked.

  Mary leaned forward and smiled.

  “I am here for you, Dalyn.”

  Chapter 5

  “Why would you want me?” I asked.