Happy Sunday! Do you like lazy Sundays, or do you have activities planned? Me, I try to get a little of both. In case you need something to do, here's the beginning of my novella Conversion.
Rhodesia’s heart thumped
in her chest.
People could probably
hear it in the next city.
She forced a breath into
aching lungs and kept a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound of an explosive
exhalation. Hiding behind a tree was hardly sufficient, even if the trunk was
wide enough to cover a two-person hovercraft, but she had to catch her breath.
Were they still on her
tail?
Probably. And they wouldn’t be tired.
Maybe she should just
give up and submit to the conversion. No place was safe, she had nowhere to run,
and perishing alone in the forest might be worse than turning into one of them.
A beautiful sound
drifted down from the branches above her head. One of the indigenous birds
sang. Happy, joyful, and defiant.
Through her adolescence
teachers talked about the old world and life on a planet called Earth. She
never understood why it was important, not until now when her own life was in
shambles. Remembering the past might be more valuable than she ever realized.
Birds on Earth were
allegedly different than here, but it was hard to believe such a preposterous
statement. Flying animals should look the same everywhere.
She remembered a photo
of a feathered creature with an extraordinary beak. It hadn’t even been a
hologram; the picture was two dimensional, and so old the color had faded.
Pelican. It had been called a Pelican.
How such a being could
fly boggled the mind.
The birds of Lucretia
looked more like the drawings of dragons she’d seen in an ancient book for
children. Sleek, with long bodies that shone with an inner light. The one above
her sounded like it would be yellow and orange. Their song varied with their
color.
She wanted to look, but
it would be hidden in the leaves and she couldn’t afford to divert her
attention.
Earth dragons breathed
fire and probably weren’t real. The birds of Lucretia had no fire, but were
still radiant.
The bird cut its song
off and the forest around her became too quiet too quickly. That could only mean one thing: they were near.
They were faster and stronger than her. She’d only gotten this
far because of a head start.
It didn’t matter.
She needed to run. The
bird had reminded her of the value of freedom and slavery was not an option.
She peeked out behind
the trunk, but couldn’t see any pursuers. That didn’t mean they weren’t there.
Her feet were heavy and
did not want to run anymore, but she made them. She was too tired to be quiet
and almost stumbled a couple of times, but regained her balance at the last
moment.
I’m going to die.
It might not be true,
not even if she stopped running and submitted, but it felt true.
Her great escape stopped
just minutes later. She threw herself down on her stomach and took in glimpses
of a large road. The pavement looked golden in the sun, and it stretched out
with no interruptions as far as she could see. Days earlier it would have been
crowded with traffic both on wheels and in the air. Now it lay deserted.
Walking on the road
would be easier than trekking through the forest. It would also make her an
easy target.
It led to New London. She
had been there a few times and it was a nice city. Crowded, but pleasant.
People were polite.
Cities had clean
clothes, water, and food.
It was just an illusion.
New London would be in no better shape than New Tampa, and getting out of there almost killed her. Mankind was
overrun by its own creations, and any city would be a deathtrap.
Maybe she should cross
the road and resume her trek through the terrain on the other side?
It was just an excuse to
feel the pavement under her feet, and once she stepped onto it the call of
civilization might be too strong. She might not be willing to step off. She’d
keep walking, comforted by any remains of her lost world, and it would lead
straight to her death.
On the other hand, did
she stand a chance alone in the woods? She could hold out for a few days, but
what were the odds of someone solving the world’s problem before she succumbed
to starvation and fatigue?
What if I’m the only human left on the planet?
She would need a ride
off-world. The elders had placed the planet in quarantine and there were surely
beacons transmitting gloomy messages of death and destruction, but there might
still be ships able to fly. She had never left the planet, but how hard could
it be?
The spaceport couldn’t
be far, and to get to it she’d have to cross the road.
She climbed the short
but slippery bank on all fours, determined to get to the other side before she
changed her mind again. Minds were such fickle things.
The deserted road was
eerie, much more so when standing on it than when seeing it from a distance.
Alone in the forest she had been able to pretend the world still functioned,
but roads were never empty.
She reached down to
press her palm against the smooth surface. It was cool and smooth. At least
buildings and roads were still reliable. For now.
“We accomplished this.
We built this.”
Her words were too loud.
Now would be a good time to run, stay out of sight, and hopefully be forgotten.
Get off the road.
As much as she told
herself to hurry, she dragged her feet. New London had a thick wall and it
looked safe. Tempting.
“Doesn’t matter when the
danger comes from within.”
Her voice sounded spooky
in the thick silence, but talking to herself helped her move forward.
Getting up on the road
hadn’t been difficult, but seen from above the bank of gravel slanting down to
the forest looked steep. She crouched and squinted, attempting to make out a
safe way down. Falling would be bad.
Was that movement?
No. Imagination.
Or, maybe an animal.
She kept her eyes on the
spot, just in case the leaves would separate and show a human face. This was
the end of the world and her instincts might be reliable.
At first nothing moved,
but then the greenery parted and a man looked out. He stared at her and held
out a hand.
“Come with us. You will
be safe.”
Right. Sure I will.
She got to her feet,
slowly. He might still be human, but odds were against it. Even if he were
human, he might also be a crazy, cannibal rapist.
“You will be safe.”
The slow repeating of
words and the lack of expression on his face convinced her.
Not human.
Where there was one,
there could be more.
Had he come from the
city?
She nodded, pretending
to consider the offer, and glanced to the side. A group of five advanced in an
eerie, synchronized manner.
The man said, “You will
be safe” one more time, and the others repeated the words. An eerie choir of
human voices void of emotion.
The only way clear led
to the city.
“You know, I’m gonna
have to take a rain check on that.”
Her voice came out
strong and clear. At a time like this, small victories mattered.
The words didn’t slow
their approach, and she spun around and ran.
She didn’t expect to get
far. Her escape earlier in the day had been dumb luck; she wasn’t that good at running. She expected the
pursuers to approach like the wind, but they weren’t good at running either.
Maybe human bodies were
complicated to control and they only managed a slow shuffle without falling
over?
If this was the case
they would adjust. She should take advantage of their weakness while she could.
I need to get off this damned road.
Good idea, but no
telling what she would run into in the forest. She only had rudimentary
memories of the area, but there had been smaller settlements outside the wall.
If all those people had turned and filled the woods, she wouldn’t stand a
chance.
She dared a glance back.
The pursuers weren’t breathing down her neck, but they were moving faster.
Her lungs burned and her
legs ached. It had been a long day with no rest, and she wouldn’t be able to go
much further.
Something moved up ahead
by the city gate. Had she waited too long and trapped herself between groups of
enemies?
No. Only humans could
move that erratically.
Shouting voices drifted
over on the wind. She couldn’t make out the words, but only humans would shout.
Safety might be an
illusion, but she’d hardly be worse off with them than alone.
She forced her legs to
move faster and ran like she never had before, to the New London city guard.
One man caught her when she collapsed at their feet, and she heard a voice bark
orders.
“Get her inside. It’s
time to clear out the woods.”