Remnants 14 - Begin Again Read Online Free

longer gray ash — but darker and softer seeming —
    and flattening out to make one giant new ground of —
    The smell was new. It was overpowering and Sanchez had no word for it. It made him gag at first, until it made him inhale deeply, greedily. A word came to his head: soil, then another: fertile — words both familiar and unfamiliar.
    But Sanchez had no time to ponder this wonder as he screamed and rolled to one side to escape the spiky, spiny green — things — shooting up through the dark stuff — all around him — ahh! —
    between his very fingers!
    Trembling with horror, Sanchez wiped his hands hard against his tunic — but he was safe, the skinny blades remained in the ground and none had pierced his flesh….
    Carefully, slowly, Sanchez reached down and poked at one of the little blades — and it bent under his light touch. Another word in his head — grass — another term both familiar and unfamiliar.
    Suddenly — Sanchez jerked his head back to find the source of the warming on his shoulders — and was horrified to see — He clapped his hands over his burnt eyes, blinded, and fell again to the grass-covered ground, weeping against the white circles dancing in his eyes. But then they were gone and Sanchez again felt a very pleasant warmth on his back, neck. Finally, he lifted his head and stood and looked around — not straight up — and saw — and saw —

CHAPTER 4
    THERE IS NO KINDNESS HERE.
    Everyone was there. Every member of the Alpha colony except Echo and her blind baby and the smallest children were gathered in the meeting room.
    Lyric sat between Mattock and Marina. She made it a point to sit very, very still. It was the strangest meeting she had ever attended.
    It seemed to have a life of its own. Its progress was inevitable. It seemed nothing would halt the flow of disaster, no dissenting voice would drown out the roar of condemnation.
    Echo’s DNA had been found wanting.
    “Genetic purity is essential!” loud voices cried.
    Weaker voices argued. “But historically, genetic diversity has been the key to a species’
    survival!”
    “Mutants are a danger to our world and must be eliminated!”
    Those last voices were the strongest.
    Lyric sat rigid with fear and loathing.
    Finally, Shipper stood and looked at each member of the colony. “The decision is unanimous,” he said.
    No, Lyric cried silently. It’s not!
    Shipper paused before going on. Before stating the awful sentence. “Echo and the child will be sent away to live what is left of their lives with the Marauders.”
    “Agreed,” Kosh said quickly. “And yet, there is a problem. We don’t know where the Marauders are at this point in time. Yes, we know they are on their way to the Source. But their current, exact location is unknown.”
    A murmur ran through the Alpha colony members.
    “The last time the Marauders visited us,” Marine said, her tone bitter, “they destroyed Woody and stole our food. Since then we have been weakened. Rainier has died. And now are we to support the lives of two defectives until the Marauders return to steal more of our food?
    No. I say we eject them from the colony immediately!”
    The sad news about Rainier made Lyric wonder. Had malnutrition contributed to Echo’s baby being blind? But she didn’t voice her thoughts. She didn’t think anyone would listen, not now.
    Not when they were talking about sending Echo away.
    Beside Lyric, Mattock sucked in his breath. Subtly, she poked his leg, urging him to keep still.
    Silence hung heavy in the air. Finally, it was broken by Lyric’s mother.
    “No,” Nile declared, but her voice was weary, defeated.
    Lyric clasped her hands tightly.
    Again, she said nothing. She was sick and paralyzed with fear. Who were these people she’d grown up among?
    Mattock’s face was pale. Nile’s face was carefully blank. Almost everyone else’s face, including Westie’s, was set in a harsh and unyielding mask.
     
    Still standing. Shipper cleared