“A Harsh Reality”

Prologue

The worst thing about the arrival of the Technos wasn’t the disappearances of loved ones, or the fear and panic they caused during the invasion, or even their experiments and manipulations. The worst thing they did was to alter our perceptions of reality. What do you believe in, who do you follow, when you can no longer trust reality?

Chapter 1 - Return

She woke in an alley, body aching, mind whirling with confusion.

Amber lifted her head from the old blankets that lay beneath her and tried to sit up. She winced at the pain that radiated through her body but gritted her teeth and shifted to lean against the bright blur of graffiti on the wall beside her. As the world spun around her and her stomach lurched in protest, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to manage the pain and clear her head. The alley was quiet; the only sound disturbing the silence was her labored breathing.

Though she ached all over, nothing appeared to be broken. She opened her eyes and gingerly moved her arms and legs, looking for traces of blood on her clothes. Her injuries appeared to be superficial. She had bruises here and there on her arms underneath her coat sleeves but nothing that looked serious, no matter how much they hurt.

She didn’t appear to be in any immediate danger, but appearances could be deceiving in their world. She tried to concentrate on her situation, on what had brought her here, but that proved to be a mistake. Her head began to ache desperately when she attempted to focus on the jagged memories crowding her mind. The bits and pieces were hard to hold on to and she bit back a groan at the instant throbbing behind her eyes as she shut them. She couldn’t remember how she’d gotten here, wherever here was, and forcing the issue right now didn’t seem like a good idea.

Amber moved carefully so that her back was fully propped against the wall, her legs stretched out in front of her and her head leaning supported. She opened her eyes slowly and the alley around her gradually came into focus. Discarded boxes, barrels, and other trash surrounded her, piled high enough so that she couldn’t see the entrance to the alley from her position. From her vantage point, there was little to help her identify her location except the alley walls.

Outsiders wouldn’t haven understood that a single wall in the city could carry a record of its power struggles. Graffiti covered the walls in layers, in essence the only historical document the city had known since the virus. The tribes that had formed, fought, and fallen were recorded on these walls. Their territories were marked, creating a map for anyone who knew how to read it. Amber read the walls, looking for the tribe names that would help her identify the sector.

Some were familiar. She could see faint, fading Demon Dogz tags beneath newer and fresher names. The Gulls were there also, a tribe the Mallrats had had a wary alliance with on more than one occasion.

Strangely though, there were names she didn’t recognize, and she’d thought she knew every tribe in the city. A smart person in the city made it her business to find out which tribes were around at any given time and to know the good from the bad. Amber had made it a point to keep track of all that information in case the Mallrats had ever needed it, and they had frequently needed it. She’d had to negotiate with most of their leaders at some time or another. One unfamiliar name wouldn’t be unusual, maybe, if they had formed recently. But there were at least four names she didn’t recognize. Maybe this was a sector she hadn’t spent any time in, but the Gulls and the Demon Dogz had only ever shared one territory that she could remember.

She was going to have to move sometime. The pain had subsided for the moment, though she doubted it was gone. Movement would probably bring it back. Her head still throbbed and didn’t invite another attempt to recall memories. Still, she felt a sense of urgency. This alley wasn’t safe and she needed to find familiar ground. And familiar faces.

Slowly, very slowly, she drew her legs to her chest and began to rise to her feet, keeping her back supported against the rough concrete wall. Even that movement was enough to cause labored breathing and black spots to start dancing in front of her eyes. Another few breaths and she stepped away from the wall, keeping her palm against it for balance. She wavered on her feet for a moment, feeling every bruise, blinking away the dizziness. Amber was nothing if not stubborn, and pain was something that could be worked through.

The opposite wall of the alley looked like it was miles away, but it was also the side of the alley with an unobstructed view into the street. She let go of the wall and walked clumsily to the other side, immediately leaning against it. She leaned her forehead against the wall and breathed deeply, ignoring the ache in her head. There were still no sounds from beyond the alley, still only her breathing echoing between the walls.

She felt the fear then. She was alone and hurt, somewhere in the city. She couldn’t remember what had happened, how she had gotten there, or what had happened to the others. The Mallrats. Her friends; her family. Then, a flash of the city exploding, of the boat packed with Mallrats. The sight of her home, everything she had known, growing smaller and smaller in the distance. She shouldn’t be here now. They had left the city because the virus had been released, making it dangerous for everyone to remain behind. She should be on a boat with her friends, the city far behind them.

Amber felt tears threatening behind her closed eyelids and ruthlessly pushed them back down. She sucked air into her lungs and turned her head towards the alley opening. Even from this side of the alley, clear of the debris that had shielded her, what she could see was limited. The street was lit by rays of sunlight, but empty. She stepped forward until she could see the areas around the corners of the alley. Everything was clear. There wouldn’t be a better time than now.

Keeping her palm flat against the wall, Amber stepped out of the alley. If she was right about her location, the Mall would be south of the alley. She headed in that direction, moving slowly and gingerly. The quiet was becoming unnerving, and she constantly looked around her for danger.

The stiffness of her body eased the more she moved and her head didn’t hurt so badly if she just focused on what was happening in the current moment. She could worry about the hows and whys of her situation later. Right now she needed to get to the Mall without running into any trouble. Though it would be reassuring to see someone, anyone, in reality she was safer if didn’t.

She’d confirmed her location and crossed a couple of intersections unbothered before she realized she wasn’t alone. She’d turned onto a main street and had managed to get a few yards when a girl about her age and a young boy appeared ahead of her from a side street. The child gripped the girl’s hand and struggled to keep up as they walked as quickly as possible without actually running. The child was scared, judging by his expression, but the girl’s face was carefully blank. She also scanned her surroundings constantly, just as Amber did.

They didn’t appear to be a threat. Even had they been, Amber couldn’t see any place to hide near her location. In her condition, she couldn’t have moved very quickly. She continued her slow, steady pace and waited for the girl to see her. The way their paths were moving, they would pass each other before long, even at Amber’s slow pace.

When the girl did notice her, she jerked briefly, startled. Whether it was from fear or shock at Amber’s appearance, she wasn’t sure. Her body had some slightly ugly bruises and she could only imagine what her face might look like. Add that to her shambling pace hugging the wall and Amber must have presented quite a picture. Appearing to have made a decision of some kind about Amber, she altered their direction slightly so that they were headed directly towards her. She stared at her, eyes trying to pass on a message that Amber was too exhausted to decode. A few feet from Amber, she turned her head to look behind her and then back into Amber’s eyes.

“Technos!” she hissed under her breath. When Amber didn’t immediately respond, trying to process the warning, the girl reached out and touched Amber’s arm briefly as she and the boy passed her. “It’s not safe. Get off the street now!”

Amber turned to watch as the pair continued to hurry down the street. The girl looked back and their eyes met again. There was guilt there and Amber wondered if the girl might have stopped to help her if it hadn’t been for the child. Amber could understand that. She also would have concentrated on saving her child from danger before worrying about anyone else.

Her child! A stabbing pain flashed behind her eyes and she gasped harshly. Her hand trembled against the wall as memories of her baby came rushing back to her. His birth, his sweet smile, his trusting gaze upon her. She was filled suddenly with longing and fear for him. She wasn’t there to protect him, to comfort him. Terrible scenarios played through her mind and she did her best to chase them away. Her friends would have taken care of Bray if anything happened to her. Trudy or Salene. Bray was safe, probably at the Mall, waiting for her to come back to him. And the Mall wasn’t getting any closer while she stood here and tortured herself with what might have happened.

As she began walking again, she recalled the girl’s words. Technos? Why would she be afraid of Technos? The Mallrats and the tribes had finally broken the Technos’ hold on the city. There had been small groups of resistance left but they were quickly cleaned up. Any remaining resistance had turned to panic in the face of the virus threat, and everyone had left the city in search of safety.

But Amber was back in the city. It was possible that some of the Technos were back too and causing trouble again, or perhaps they had never left. None of this was making sense. But the girl’s fear had been real and it was always safer to be paranoid these days than too trusting.

There was an old, rusted car not too far in front of her. She could crouch down behind that for a few minutes and determine if there really was any danger. A short stop would also be welcome. She wasn’t far from the Mall now - maybe ten minutes walking distance - but her efforts so far had taken a lot out of her. She was exhausted, in pain, and worried about her friends and family.

It was a relief to sink down behind the car, resting her back against what was left of the right rear tire. For a few moments she simply rested, closing her eyes and trying to regain some of her strength.

Until she heard them coming.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of approaching trucks. She turned her head carefully and peered over the trunk of the car in the direction of the noise. It was some sort of convoy of trucks escorted by a number of guards walking alongside it and riding ATVs. The guards wore the black and silver uniforms and the masks the whole city had become familiar with in the early days of the Techno invasion. The vehicles were large, emblazoned with the Techno logo that so appropriately looked like a target.

The girl had been right. This was bad; this looked like the Technos were back in force. Somehow they had reformed without Ram or Mega to lead them. Somehow they were back to the strength they had been in the beginning of it all. They moved unimpeded through the streets, transporting whatever might be in those trucks. She couldn’t help but wonder if they might be carrying people. This was too much like the first time.

She unconsciously held her breath as they passed, though it would have been impossible for any of them to hear her breathing from that distance and over the sound of the vehicles. A minute passed, feeling like an hour, and then the streets were empty again. She silently blessed the car’s protection, the closest to a prayer she had in her. She noticed that she was shaking again, less the exhaustion of her journey and more the fear of the Technos having discovered her in her current state of weakness. Her vulnerability once more became glaringly apparent.

Amber waited a while longer to make sure the danger had passed. The shaking of her body slowly eased, but she wasn’t eager to leave the shelter of the car. She knew, though, that the quicker she got back to the Mall, the quicker she would be out of danger.

She rose from behind the car and once again headed for the wall, returning her palm to its support. Not far now. She was more careful now to listen for any other approaching vehicles and to look all around her for anything that might be a threat. The alertness cost her as much as the increased pace she tried to keep.

When the Mall came into view, Amber almost cried in relief. She leaned against the wall and soaked in the familiar site. Shelter, safety, home. She pushed away from her support and walked clumsily, eagerly, across the street and through its doors. The lowered grill didn’t dim her relief, but her exhausted body collapsed beside it. She paused, just happy to be able to rest in relative safety.

When she’d gotten her breath back, she gripped the grill and used the rest of her strength to rattle it and shout, “Hello! Anyone!” Short moments passed and she heard movement. Trudy came into view and she’d never been so glad to see anyone in her life. “Trudy!” She beamed at her as Trudy approached the gate.

“Amber!” she gasped, stunned. “Oh my God, Amber!” She hurried to raise the gate then rushed back to kneel beside Amber, gripping her shoulders. “Amber, I’m so glad you’re okay! You are okay, aren’t you?” She pulled back from a fierce hug to look Amber over with a critical eye. She frowned at Amber’s face, which indicated that Amber probably had some kind of bruises there similar to the ones on her arms and legs. She pushed up the sleeves of Amber’s coat and hissed at the bruises revealed there.

“I’m okay, Trudy. Just tired and sore.” She gently pulled her arm away and smiled again as Trudy looked back at her, concerned. It was good to be home amongst friends. Family. “Really, it’s fine for now. I just need someplace I can rest for a bit.”

“Here,” she said while helping to raise Amber to her feet, “Let me get you to a bed. Slowly now.” She put her arm around Amber’s back and added her strength to help support Amber while they walked slowly up the stairs. While they struggled up the steps, one at a time, Amber asked about the only other thing on her mind in this moment.

“Bray. Is Bray alright, Trudy? Just tell me that he’s okay.” All she wanted to know was if he was safe and unharmed. Then she could rest for a bit without having to worry about him.

“Bray?” They’d reached the top of the stairs and Trudy was concentrating on supporting Amber and guiding her to a room nearby. Not Amber’s room, she noticed, but Amber couldn’t have cared less at this point if she bedded down in the kitchen.

“My baby, Trudy. Is my baby okay?” From the corner of her eye she could see someone else approaching, hurrying to put an arm around her from the other side, providing more support. She turned her head to see who it was as Trudy answered.

“Baby?” Trudy asked, shocked. “Amber, you don’t have a baby!” She paused, then asked hesitantly, “Do you?”

Trudy’s words didn’t register right away though. Amber was too astonished by who was holding her up on her right side. She couldn’t believe her eyes, knew she couldn’t be seeing straight. She was exhausted and hurt. Surely that would explain a few hallucinations. She was still staring when Trudy’s words finally got through. She tore her eyes away and turned back to Trudy, her mouth hanging open. She wasn’t sure what to say to Trudy, couldn’t think straight.

Her head whipped back around and she had time to say one word before she gave up the fight and finally entered unconsciousness.

“Zandra?”