OGENUS EARTH 🌎 🌊 {Dystopian Sci-Fi Adventure}

Battle of One

"I thought all his scenarios resulted in our victory?" Olivia's bottom lip trembled, showing a weakness that Gayle could seize.

"All but one, yes," Gayle replied equably. "But approximately two hundred thousand situations could result in your death now, thanks to you."

Gayle waited while her threatening words sank in and Olivia's eyes popped. "Including this scenario?" Olivia's dread-soaked voice was barely above a whisper.

"That's up to you," Gayle said cryptically. "The odds aren't great. Now, we got the override code regardless. So, you should feel proud. Even if Coeuss determines that you're too much of a threat to keep alive, you did your part, sister."

Gayle's emphasis on the familial word turned Olivia's stomach as she rested a surprisingly strong arm on Olivia's shoulder. A thin veil of panic cloaked Olivia's perception of the gesture, and she intuitively brought her hand up to caress Gayle's.

"I was stupid." Olivia began, keeping her tone low enough to sound repentant. "I let my feelings for that man cloud my judgment. If Couess finds me guilty, I will accept the decision."

Of all the possible responses, Gayle wasn't expecting this. She stepped away from Olivia to look at her. She'd read the Architect's exemplary file and communicated with her on multiple occasions through Caitlyn. Never had this woman shown an ounce of humility, and yet she seemed resolved to her leader's verdict. Gayle's memory snapped painfully back to her lover, Caitlin. The agony she'd been pushing away threatened her better judgment.

"We all have to accept the losses to come sister." Gayle choked through her scratchy throat. "We knew the consequences of these actions."

"Did we?" Olivia challenged, forcing real tears to pool in her eyes.

Olivia knew very well the ramifications of what they still had to do. In fact, she'd long ago made peace with the demise of every male of the species and wasn't at all affected by the casualties of the women who were foolish enough to follow them. Olivia had even managed to compartmentalize the wasted lives of children to get what she wanted. She too had gotten to know Gayle this past year, and she knew exactly which buttons to push.

Gayle's resolve crumbled at the sight of Olivia's crocodile tears. "Yes." She murmured. "Caitlyn knew the probability of her survival was low. She sacrificed herself for our cause, now we must be ready to do the same."

"And, I am," Olivia promised, her most winning performance yet. "I don't have anyone back home to mourn, so I do not understand the pain you're going through, but I can listen if you need me to."

Gayle hadn't taken time to grieve her loss. She'd loved Caitlyn (she was still in love with Caitlyn if she was being honest), and when Sandra had delivered the news of her death, it was a blow. The past thirteen months had been torment. Having to stage their separation was the most awful ask Coeuss could have made, but she was loyal to their cause and Gayle had persisted. Now, she would never be able to hold the love of her life again.

She wasn't always homicidal. In fact, neither she nor Caitlyn would have ever turned to something so desperate, but they had been backed into a corner. When they'd found out that they weren't chosen for procreation, their dreams of motherhood were crushed. That verdict had been handed down from a man's arbitrary rules born out of a broken patriarchal system.

Who were they to decide whether she and Caitlyn could provide a loving and supportive home for a child? To discriminate against them because both parents weren't high-ranking members of the community, felt criminal.

When Caitlyn showed Gayle the records of Arturo's future prediction protocols, which ran millions of scenarios in order for Coeuss to evolve their environment over time and keep them safe, she understood what they had to do. Arturo had clearly buried the program to hide the grim truth. There was no future for mankind.