Chapter 40: Big new world
“I knew it,” Skye whispered, seeming to stare through me. “I knew if even before she didn't react to the knockout gas. I just didn't realized you'd gotten to her already.”
I jumped, as Skye began to trace her pinkie finger across my right cheek. At first I had no idea what she was doing, but then I raised my hand to feel the area she'd indicated. Underneath the new injuries Romeo had inflicted, there was something older; a thin pink scar, that had once gushed blood. With memories of the long forgotten injury, came memories of the events that had surrounded it. Running through the streets in the dead of night, jumping at every sound. If it hadn't been for this scar, I never would have gone back to Jason's, I never would have put him in danger, and we never would have become friends.
As if he'd read my mind, Chaz said, “your friend was one too, Jason. We were trying to get a sample of his blood too, just to make sure, but we never got the chance. When the two of you went into that government building things started moving to fast, and we lost you.”
So that's what purpose the scar had served. They'd been taking a sample.
“He was one what? What the hell am I?” I as trying to keep my voice steady, but panic was again beginning to creep up on me.
“You're a resistant Nance, all of us are, except those two.” Chaz gestured between Dustin and Drew.
“What's a resistant?” I asked.
“It's the reason why you were marked.”
I was about to demand more of an explanation when the van suddenly began to swerve. Still holding onto my handle, my body lifted almost completely off the seat.
“Although I'd love for you to inform Nance on exactly what a resistant is. Do you really think this is the best time?” Drew grunted, from the other side of the vehicle. “I'd really appreciate knowing what was going on outside. Don't think I don't recognize those panels. I know you have exterior screens.”
Chaz nodded. “Good point. Nance, I'm sorry but we'll have to continue this conversation later.”
I was about to protest, but the panels, as Drew had called them, were already flaring to life. They showed camera feeds of what was going on outside the van, from all angles. The first thing I noticed, was that we were part of a chain, a long precession of identical armored trucks, that lined both sides of an unknown road. Filling up the interior of the road were cars, twenty-first century cars. They were protected, on all sides, by their armored escorts. Above us, winged helicopters hovered, a spinning turbine on each side of the cabin.
“Whoa,” Dustin whispered, “this is intense.”
He threw a look at Chaz and I began to wonder if he would warship this man like he'd once worshiped Alec. I hoped not. Although Chaz had been nothing but good, he was the same type as Alec, and that was dangerous.
“Has there been any resistance on the EUP's part?” Drew asked, scrutinizing the screens.
“A little,” Chaz admitted, “but the duel blades have mostly taken care of it, before they reached the convoy.”
“Good job,” Drew congratulated him. “You Unites know what you're doing.”
“We'll thank you,” Chaz said, in a mock joke voice. “It's nice to hear that at least one of the mighty WUIA appreciates our contributions.”
Drew shook his head. “I know you were counting on me to bring in the cooperation of the WUIA, but I don't know if I'm going back. While I was stationed it the city, I had a lot of time to think. I still believe in the Triple U, and that it's government is the best hope North America has, but the WUIA's not what it used to be. If you knew half the things that go on there, you'd think of poorly of us as you do the EUP operatives.”
“Believe me,” Chaz said, “we know a lot more than what you give us credit for. No, there is no doubt that the WUIA is corrupt, but their agents are still the best in the world and we need all the help we can get.”
Drew threw him a look. “I see what you're suggesting. You'll have to bring me in on your game plan, once we reach our destination.”
“I'll try,” Chaz said, “but it might be difficult convincing the others to let a spy see anything even remotely important. You might have to work for your spot up there.”
Drew nodded. “I understand.”
Suddenly, the whole van began to rock. The screens that covered the walls flickered black and dissolved, sliding to the floor in perfect black lines.
“What just happened?” Dustin asked, tensing as if he was preparing for a fight.
“It's magnet field disruption. I'm actually surprised. Ours is heavily encrypted. But don't worry,” Chaz said, reassuringly, “all our pilots can fly manually.”
Dustin shot me a blank look, and I shrugged.
“Don't worry,” Skye said, grinning. “It took me forever to get used to outside life. Most of this stuff is still way over my head.”
“Don't lie Skye,” Chaz teased. “You were one of our fastest learners.”
The van rattled again, and Drew said, “I think they're getting desperate. If they're using the dead field, they must be running out of options.”
“Really? You know about the dead field? I thought it was just a rummer.” Chaz sounded amazed.
Drew smiled. “Yeah. I was on the team sent in to steal the plans. It was the biggest technological advancement, not made by us. However, the thing was practically unusable. The shear amount of energy needed to power it far outweighs its usefulness.”
Sighing, I looked back over at Dustin. His eyes were wide, absorbing every second of it. However, as the conversation progressed, it became harder and harder to comprehend what they were talking about. So, I drifted off into day dreams. Although the vehicle occasionally bumped and shuttered, neither Drew nor Chaz seemed worried, so I was content to sit silently. The conversation was, for the most part, friendly, but they avoided the topic of resistants and I found myself becoming more and more impatient.
Eventually, Dustin asked Skye were exactly they were going. The three of us were in a conversation of our own, for the adults were deep in theirs.
“Yeah,” I joined in, “how much farther?”
Then, for some unknown reason, Skye laughed. “You really have no idea, do you?”
Dustin shook his head. “No, we don't. Please enlighten us.”
For a second, Skye seemed deep in thought.
“In school, they showed you twenty-first century maps, right?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Well the city is located somewhere near what used to be Missouri. Now, the area controlled by the Unites is in northern Canada. Oh, and we have Alaska.”
“Oh...” The world wasn't that descriptive, but Dustin had summed up exactly what I'd been thinking.
“So, how are we getting there?” I asked. “We're not going to get that far driving, especially in twenty-first century cars. They'd need to stop for gas.”
Skye nodded. “True, and you're not going to find any of that around here. The last of the worlds supply pretty much all goes to the city. That's actually how UNA gets most of its funding, we've got the arctic.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Then how are we getting there?”
Skye shrugged. “No idea. Hey Chaz!” She invaded the conversation of the four adults.
“Yeah?”
“How are we getting all these people back to HQ?”
“Good question,” Drew said. “We're driving right along the border. That means we have not only one, but two countries trying to either blow us all to pieces, or capture us.”
“It's not much farther now,” Chaz reassured. “We're taking the border train.”
“You can't be serious!” Skye gasped. “You couldn't have finished it already!”
Chaz laughed. “Are you serious? There's no way and hell we could have gotten past the city! We put the train on the track even though we haven't quite reached our intended destination.”
“You mean that's actually operational?” Drew looked shocked. “How have the WUIA not shut it down yet.”
“Honestly?” Chaz asked. “Well it had a lot to do with the city. With their stupid treaty still in play they were to afraid to launch a full scale attack so close to EUP territory.”
“Still, you must have it seriously fortified.”
Chaz nodded. “The entire thing is built like a bomb shelter.”
“Wait!” Dustin interrupted, holding up his hand in front of him. “Can someone please explain to me and Nance what they hell you are talking about.”
Oh, Dustin. What would I do without him?
Smiling the entire time, Chaz explained to us, UNA's main project. They were constructing a magnet-train line that ran directly down the EUP, Triple U border. The ones I'd seen leaving the city's station had only been late twenty-first century models. The one we were going to ride made the trip in just under three hours. I was astounded. That was faster than an airplane! Although I'd never been in one myself, I'd watched enough twenty-first century TV to know the speed of the ancient machines. We would have to take about sixty trips. Considering the train only fit about about ten-thousand people.
Eventually, the rocking of the van ceased and the screens reassembled themselves on the walls. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, now that we could see that the procession was intact. I heard Chaz say something about only losing one of the helicopter like machines.
“Want to know a fun fact?” Skye asked.
“What?” I asked back, hoping, secretly, that it was something about resistants.
“Contrary to their names, the Western Union is located on the east side of the continent, and the Easter United Provinces the west.”
“Now that honestly doesn't make any sense,” Dustin said.
Skye shrugged. “Nothing makes sense, but I think it has to do with their allegiances in the war. The eastern side of the continent allied with their friends over the Atlantic ocean, and the western side with those over the Pacific. It's all about sides of the prime meridian, not North America.”
I nodded, that kind of made sense, however there were still so many questions I had about this strange new world.
“Of course,” Skye continued, “the world war ended a long time ago. Everything is pretty good on the other continents. It's just North America that's still in this mess.”
Now, that was a surprise.
“Have you been off the continent?” I asked, looking at my friend with a new kind of respect.
“Are you kidding?” She laughed. “I've only been out of the city for two years, and the rest of the world has a serious no meddling policy. The only people I know who have gone are Chaz and Jea. No, we're pretty much on our own, even though the United Nations is supposedly our ally.”
The United Nations? That was something I knew. They had existed back in the twenty-first century. I'd been sure they'd be gone by now. I was starting to like the sound of Skye's group more and more. The rest of the world was now at the top of my list of things to learn about, right behind resistants.
“Hey, look!” Dustin was pointing up at one of the screens.
The cars in front of us were coming to a stop, although I couldn't see why. The road we'd been driving down had emerged from the forest and entered a grassy plain, but other than that, I saw no difference.
“We're here,” said Chaz, grinning proudly.