Wilds Born

Pretty much the first and only time the genetic and tweaker families are listed in some way or form. They have this huge plan in place but they won't step up and overthrow the government because they find dealing with politics 'bothersome.'

Points for El for not screaming like a girl, as I expected him to.

Read, Review and Enjoy.

EDITED: for some insanity in the middle where the names kept changing in a nonsensical fashion. I believe I was quite ill while writing this chapter...




Time passed, days moved slowly. Nu spent much of his time learning from Vrg about her language. Much of it was difficult and the learning was very slow. Which was fine with Nu, as Vrg had decided to learn their language and she was a slow learner. She easily recalled that first language lesson but after that, the going was slow, slower than Nu was used to. He had to show due care and attention to the short female.

They had to feed her three times a day. She had to wash once a day least she smell and she had to empty her bowels or relieve herself in some manner three or four times a day. Caring for the short female was like caring for a babe, mother said, but that was because she was apparently unaltered. At least, unaltered in that fashion.

As a group, they remained at the tree because Evera could not be moved. Mother told El that Evera was unwell and Evera had told El that she had had a little episode and it had to do with a specific amino acid running rampant so she would alter it once they got back home. Meanwhile Evera lost weight and got dark circles under her eyes.

In that time Yao started glowing and would wander off with the ‘solo’ males of the tribe. This had some sort of affect on the solo males.

Nu and El stayed away from each other but had quiet conversations to demonstrate the oddities between the different dialects of their language. El spoke one way, Nu spoke another. Nu and El spoke yet another to one another. Just as El and Yao spoke a different dialect. Nu didn’t even notice the difference in the dialects until Vrg started looking confused.

El and Yao pronounced ‘male’ almost ‘mel’ but said ’mal’ when speaking to Nu. Nu had been taught to speak proper verbal language, so he pronounced the word properly, just as Evera had. Mother and Evera, when Evera was up for talking, called it slang, explaining that when one began dealing with the genetic composition of the people, words shortened.

By the time Evera could be moved, Vrg had a basic understanding of the language. She could carry on minor conversations in their language and Nu could understand a small selection of vocabulary.

It all sounded the same.

Either that or Vrg’s language had the same word for multiple things. Like sky and air and star and moon and sun were all the same word. And water, ground, rock, debris were all the same word.

When Evera could be moved, she called for the airlift and they all made their excuses. Nu excused himself from tribal life, unable to fully explain to his father why he wanted to go back to civilization. Vrg was coming with them. Evera wanted to run tests on her and find out who had altered the short beauty. For that was what Vrg was emerging as. Her hair grew in quickly and to shoulder length. Long and straight when it was cleaned. Silken smooth and shiny. He eyes took on a deeper red as she was fed better, as she was allowed to wander and treated like one of the tribe. Her skin, that was what caught Evera’s attention even before the hair. Soft and supple, smooth as could be and pale as skin ever was.

Nu communicated to Vrg that they were leaving the wilds and the short female nodded along. Nu didn’t think Vrg got the idea. Even as they climbed into the airlift, Vrg seemed perfectly content. Once it lifted off the ground, she grabbed hold of Yao’s hand for dear life and didn’t let go until the airlift settled down at the top of Gomesh Genetics building.

There they were met by four different people. One took the cousin, one started talking to Yao, one followed them along and one spoke to Evera.

“The government has attacked the Ishteshtin compound. Fourteen hundred causalities, mainly government people. The Ishteshtin have shown to almost entirely have power, every one of them past the tenth generation. Layaent led the attack, frying pans and kitchen knives in hand, the tenth generation went on a rampage.

“They plan to attack the Toleran next, except the Toleran said that any other attacks on any of the genetic lines will be a declaration of all out war. Toleran has sworn that if the government attacks them, the Toleran line will take action and that action will be against the government. Commoners are rioting in the streets.”

“Odd timing,” El muttered, glancing at the one who was following along.

“He broadcasted ten percent of the genetic material before he was caught, the government got a hold of one section of the wild male’s code, the portion that dictates that his genetic material altered invitro. He has no need for genetic engineering because he is the perfect model.”

The entire group stopped right before the elevator and turned towards the woman who had spoken last. She had a flat screen in her arm and glasses perched on the end of her nose. Blinking between them all, she added, “what?”

“Aren’t I the wilds male?” Nu asked.

“Yes,” Evera said quietly, “your siblings don’t express the same genetic material as you, as we found through the tests that we were able to run on the volunteers. Most of your tribe could still use genetic alteration. You don’t need it though. I’m betting your older brother doesn’t need it either, if only he had agreed to a scan, I would know.

“You, mister should reproduce as much as possible. Your genetic code is worth billions.”

“They,” the woman said quietly, “want the wilds male handed over immediately.”

“Who. Is. They?” Evera snapped out, turning to jab the button, “government bureaucrats. Bastards.”

“They’re in the building,” the woman said, tapping away at her computer, “we’ve evacuated the floor they are on and have sealed the air ducts. Technically we couldn’t deliver a lethal dose so we’ve simply delivered enough of one to render them infertile.”

Evera glanced over her shoulder, “I knew I hired you for a reason. Send them home. I am unavailable due to taking suddenly ill and I shall not be well for quite some time. After they get home, send a gift basket with our regards and deepest sympathies but a virus escaped and now my entire staff is infertile and they are as well.”

“Very well,” the elevator doors pinged and Evera stepped on, leading the small group into the confined space, “about the riots?”

“This is Layaent’s territory, let him deal with the riots. If they come near the building then we will have to react or retaliate in some manner. If there is still a line working in the Ishteshtin home, I want you to connect me to it immediately. Send niece home. Yao take up position and fiddle a bit.”

“Why am I going home?” snapped the older of the two sisters, “I can be useful.”

“No. You cannot. Yao is trained in biological warfare, you are trained in financial situations. I highly doubt that all the money in the world is going to help protect Gomesh Genetics at this time,” Evera said quickly, “go home to your father and be happy that this is a war that you do not have to fight.

“Lal,” she turned to the woman who had spoken to the group in the first place, “bring up monitor systems along the edge and activate all, I mean all, teams immediately. Tell the airlifts to drop and land. I want everyone out of the wilds within the hour and within the day for those on deep expeditions. Yao, fourteen, sixteen, B recombinant number forty-six should do quite a good job with minimal work or damage to others.”

The doors opened and a group of workers met Evera, each one talking as they went along, moving across the floor. The cousin disappeared, Yao rushed ahead. El stuck by his mother and Nu pulled Vrg along as the short female wanted to escape the crowd of suddenly tall people. There was little that Nu could say that Vrg would understand, so Nu patted her on the shoulder.

He did his best to keep up with everyone else and to pull Vrg along. The people around them didn’t even notice Nu of Vrg. El and Evera were too concerned with getting to the room across the floor. It was Yao who stopped suddenly, melted through the crowd and appeared beside Nu. She took hold of Nu and Vrg’s wrists and pulled them through the crowd expertly, parting it easily and quickly.

Yao moved across the floor and joined El and Evera just as they stepped up to the big set of double doors. Cousin was no where to be seen. Evera slipped into the room, then El, then Yao, tugging Nu and Vrg along.

Inside was a room. That was all. Its walls were covered in windows and down the center was a long table filled with chairs. Atop the table, in front of every chair, was a little square of different coloured wood. Consoles sat against the sides of the room, those old things that weighed several pounds and had all kinds of keys to press and use.

“Activate the system,” Evera slid into the seat at the front of the table and laid her hands flat on the surface.

El slipped into the seat to Evera’s right and touched the odd panel of wood. The moment his fingers touched the panel, the windows all changed. From a view of sky rises to news channels and charts, incoming information. A map with little dots on it, flitting about on the screen.

Vrg watched this all and wandered from screen to screen, watching news reels, then moving on to the next one. The short female played with her hair as she considered whatever information she took in from the screens. When the female came back to the table, she played with a chair, then finally pulled it out and perched on the end of it, back straight. As if she was uncertain how to use a chair.

Yao slipped down to the other end of the table and settled into the seat there. She played on her piece of wood for a while and ignored the rest of the group. Yao seemed very focused on her work, so Nu didn’t ask anyone about it.

Nu sat in a seat by Evera but far enough away that it was clear that he wanted nothing to do with what everyone else was doing. He had no idea what was going on, so he watched the screens as Evera went through some sort of conference call.

On the news people were protesting, shaking signs in the air as they chanted things. From the side of the road, they did this, within clearly designated areas marked off on the sidewalk. Cars passed by as if nothing was going on but the news reported on it. Another image was someone making graffiti on the side of a building that said ‘WWASD?’ and a symbol. A six pointed star inside a circle. Men in gray uniforms dragged the man away as he shrieked and struggled .

“Government officials refuse to comment.”

“Government officials will not acknowledge the death caused while the man was in their custody.”

“Government officials deny that anything happen.”

“Government officials claim that the Ishteshtin line attacked first.”

“The Ishteshtin head of household has been shot.”

Each of the newscasters said something different, as some sort of scrawling words rolled across the bottom of the screen that moved too fast for Nu to read. But then they all seemed to sync up to say the same thing as the last broadcaster, “the Ishteshtin head of household has been shot.”

Hearing multiple voices give the same report was odd, was disjointing even, “those of the Ishteshtin line seemed to be collecting on the grounds of the estate. Unconfirmed reports of genetics acting like animals, like tweakers even, have been rolling in for the last hour. The government is seeking a control method from the genetic corporations for the safety of the common-”

Every screen changed, Layaent, pissed look, dressed in formal wear. That much, Nu understood. Layaent’s neck was bandaged heavily and red showed through it. The clench of the male’s jaw, the narrowed eyes and the way Layaent seemed to make himself appear larger than he actually was.

“This talk of war is ridiculous. The attack on my family. That. That was disgraceful. Attacking peaceful genetics. We will be issued an apology and those responsible will be punished or the Ishteshtin line will withdraw from society. Completely, utterly. We will bankrupt our companies and take all of our workers with us. Servants and all, the Ishteshtin will vanish over night. With this ultimatum comes the encouragement for all other genetic lines to follow suit. If the government cannot take responsibility for its own action, there is no need for us to remain.

“Obviously this society no longer has a need for the genetic lines, obviously the lines have moved beyond being able to live side by side with these. Children. Either the children will behave or we will withdraw our support.

“It was given to us as a duty, to care for the commoners until such a time as they were able to care for themselves, or they became one with us. Obviously this is not possible. Perhaps there was a flaw in in their genetic code, but they seem more barbarian than the grown adults that they are. Resorting to violence against peaceful citizens.

“Any line who chooses to remain, I, and my family, fully understand and support your decision. But know that,” Layaent grimaced and touched the bandage delicately, “you may not be as lucky as me. You may not survive or have a tweaker willing to sacrifice his life to save you. Layaent of the Ishteshtin line out.”

The screens went black for a moment before ten startled looking newscasters appeared. One by one, they jerked themselves out of their dazes and closed their mouths. One of them said, “was that meant to be a public broadcast?”

Several others put hands to their eyes, eyes growing wide.

“The people are calling in-”

“Demanding that the government apologise-”

“Ishteshtin stocks plummeting-”

“Genetic companies refusing to-”

Each station had a sudden appearance of someone. Genetic, tweaker, all but the Toleran and Ishteshtin lines were suddenly there, represented by these servants of flunkies.

“The Meita-”

“Talert-”

“Fenwashut-”

“Caltor-”

“Odder-”

“Pilton-”

“Shimastuei-”

“Ayanlata-”

“Huemin-”

“Raluyeashyanan family will withdraw from society if the Ishteshtin line does so. We fully support this move and agree that it is time that the genetic-

“Tweaker families make a stand and face this threat united. We are one-”

“Genetic and tweaker alike, in this together for all eternity in this odyssey of ours down the path of genetic alteration. No going back-”

“No second chances. This government must prove that it is able, or must be removed from power immediately. Either way, a change will be made. The choice, is yours.”

El made a choking sound, “can they do that?”

“Layaent’s got a system through the works,” Evera jabbed at many buttons, “through the lines and down the ranks. El, bring up the communication.” For a moment there was silence, and then Evera appeared across the screens. The woman stood and folded her arms, “We have tried to reach out, we have tried to make amends to the people who we wronged. For this reason, we choose to remain behind to aid those good folk who are not involved in the government plots. Only. Those people.

“From this point forward, all production of all foetuses will be put on hold indefinitely. Gomesh Genetics will cease the creation of fourteen amino acids that the government purchases off of us for their own uses. Medical genetic creationism will cease and all civilians will be denied entrance into the buildings of Gomesh Genetics and its sister corporations.

“We will sit idly by an do nothing,” Evera jabbed a button and the screens went black for a moment before the newscasters reappeared. One of them fell out of her chair, the others had gone a green sort of colour, “with our luck, that will be when the short people attack.”

***

El swallowed hard, clenching his jaw to keep his stomach from emptying its contents. He had heard about this, about the plan of what to do when things got completely out of hand but he had never imagined that the genetic lines would activate it.

His mother had often grilled him on what to do if such a problem occurred. Most of it involved getting his mother out of bed or the grave or wherever she was and propping her up enough to do her job. He had never been told what would happen when the system was activated.

Obviously Layaent’s influence went far and deep, as all but the Toleran family had removed themselves from society. All but.

“And what will the Toleran do?” each newscaster said it and then put on that smile as if waiting for orders. Each, one by one, got nervous and gave someone off camera a look. A cranky, ‘what do you mean you haven’t got it’ look. Then, one by one, they swallowed, “the Toleran are what?”

“Gone,” one person said from off screen.

To which that newscaster fainted and fell out of his seat. The one who had fallen from her seat earlier climbed back into it and straightened herself out, taking a deep breath and shuffling the papers she had. Slowly, she came back to herself, nodding along to whatever information was being told to her.

“The Toleran family have decided not to comment at this point,” she said quietly, “and now, from the senate floor, the government’s rebuff.”

The image changed, flickering from one channel to the next until all were focused on an elderly gentleman who was. Ill in some way, his waistline had expanded and there was flesh hanging off of his face. El looked to his mother, “what’s wrong with him?”

“He’s fat,” mother spat out.

“This nation will not, cannot give in to terrorist demands.”

“Shut it off, El.”

El pushed a button and mother lowered her head to the desk, groaning as she did so. The ultimatum hadn’t worked, the government was denying the genetic lines what they demanded, despite the fact that it was the right thing to do.

Mother sat up woodenly, “Make the call, Yao. El, we need to get you and Nu out of here immediately and back to the wilds. The government has been petitioning to get their hands on you for years and the moment word leaks out that Nu is here-”

“It won’t.”

“It will,” Nu said quietly, swallowing hard. The little male raised his hands and looked at them, the right one was vibrating, the left held perfectly still, “it’s your cousin. She’s gone to tell them about me and the short female. They are in the building, up the steps, running and scurrying like mice. Vrg,” the little male motioned towards Yao and said, “go,” very clearly.

Vrg shook her head and stood seemingly not getting what Nu said. She wandered about the room as Nu slipped between the door and mother. El stood, not understanding, their security was-

Shots were fired outside the room. El flinched automatically, mother stood and moved across the room, behind Yao. As El stood, the doors were thrown open. He couldn’t quite comprehend what was going on, why or how the government troops had gotten into the building.

Nu opened his mouth and bore his teeth in challenge.

That. That was when El realised that there was a major difference between the wilds born people and the civilized people. Nu was not caught by societal reasoning, he didn’t care that the chair he wielded broke the neck of someone who had a family. What Nu cared about was that that person, the one with the gun, wanted to kill him. Survival was driving Nu as he grabbed hold of another man and swung him about by the arm, catching others with the body. Nu threw the man against the wall, making him bounce and then skid across the floor.

Nu growled, howled at the government men and they lifted their guns.

“GET DOWN,” mother shouted and everyone ducked.

Everyone except Vrg and Nu. Nu made a rude gesture, Vrg didn’t understand as she casually lifted a control center off of its desk and tugged it out of the wall. Vrg took hold of the cord and twirled the control unit with expert ease. As if used to using such a weapon. She let it fly as the armed men began firing. The unit went up and over the gunshots, coming down as it struck the ceiling. It caught one of the men upside the head and he went down, gun slicing a hole through the ceiling as he did so.

Nu just stood there, placid as shots were fired and every one of them seemed to miss. The armed men ran out of bullets and struggled to reload and Nu clicked, clicked at the men as he slouched down. It was the sound of an angry animal, of a predator that was assured of its success. Nu launched himself on a man and bit into his neck.

El grimaced at the sound the man made, at the blood that spurted and the odd feeling he had of what it would be like to have someone tear into his neck.

Vrg snapped another control unit out of the wall and caught a man in the arm with it. He winced away, bringing his head lower as he did and the short female promptly smacked him over the head.

“El! Do something!” Yao snapped, brining El out of his daze.

He leapt up and grabbed one of the men by the neck. The man screamed and El flicked him out of the way. Blood coated his nails. Right, he had never used his nails before. He was built as a predator, made to be an alpha and to do just this. It was oddly frightening to allow his instincts to take over after so many years of careful control.

Hardly caring, El snapped the neck of one man and pulled another man’s arm out of the socket, a flick of his fingers over the armour and it split like a warm knife through butter. Skin erupted and the arm came off, leaving El to stare at it, confused as to how he had done such a thing. Eventually he dropped the arm and took a hold of the next man and the next until there was only one male left standing.

He turned on this male, to eliminate all rivals and claim the prize. But the male just vanished from his hands, gone for a long moment before pain bloomed in his kidneys.

El went down, coughing, spitting out blood. He ran his tongue over his teeth and tasted blood, but it didn’t seem to his own. As he came back to himself, a strong hand pulled him up. Nu blinked at El, blood drying on his smooth skin. The little male grinned toothily at El, showing off a clean mouth. El growled and Nu did it again.

He could only assume that meant ‘show teeth’ so he showed his own. Nu grimaced, reaching with one hand, he pulled something out from between El’s teeth and flicked it to the side. It looked like a ring.

A ring. A ring had been caught between his teeth.

Nu pulled El towards the table and dropped him so that his back was facing the doorway, “fine. We fine. Possibly El in shock.”

Yao sounded weak as she said, “he’s not the only one. Vrg. Vrg?”

El stood a pushed his hair out of his eyes. Vrg stood on the other side of the table, picking at something on her chest. The female grunted and there was a squelching sound as she seemed to dig with two fingers at something. She pulled her fingers away, bloodied, and flicked something hard away. It bounced and rolled with a metallic clink. A bullet.

Vrg made a growling sound and spat something out, then, and only then, she turned towards Yao and made the sound that Nu’s family made when they wanted to know what someone else wanted.

“Are you hit?” Yao rushed to Vrg, “let me see, El, get the kit. El. She’s bleeding, she’s been hit, it’s a chest wound, get the kit.”

El turned to get the kit and stumbled onto the bloody scene. Body parts and blood everywhere. He stopped, did a slow spin and was thorough and loudly sick on the carpet. Nu was at his side in a moment, leading him away and murmuring quiet comforts in his ear. El was deposited by his mother, shaking and shuddering.

What had he done?

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