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Chapter 2
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“The Reclamation Program was the Central Government’s solution to parents who disagreed with GERA. The project’s goal was simple: find families with inoculation-free children, arrest the parents for violating Central Government law, and take the children into the system. The program continued uninhibited for nearly two decades until we learned how to better hide ourselves in and outside the system.” Radical Archive – excerpt from the Reclamation Program history“ “Who’s the girl?” asked the tall man with the poor fake British accent. Veronica knew he was referring to her since she stuck out like a sore thumb. “She’s my niece. Her parents were killed in the riots,” Calvin responded. His attention never wavered from the terminal screen in front of him. Calvin had been working all evening on the forged credentials this stranger was now here for – an hour earlier than expected too. Calvin had just finished initializing the last sequence of encryption on the passport cards when the buzzer rang a few moments prior. He told Veronica to go to her room, but she always loved seeing Calvin being the person he showed no one else. It felt thrilling and terrifying all at once seeing a side of her adoptive father no one else saw. “That’s a shame bloke,” the stranger said. He turned his attention to Veronica. “What’s your name princess?” His smile revealed perfect teeth to match his immaculately parted brown hair. “Her name’s Veronica, and she should be in her room like I asked her to be when you buzzed,” Calvin said. “I’m no trouble mate,” the stranger said. “So tell me, what’s the real story? It’s plain as day you two aren’t related.” Calvin tried not to get angry. “We’re not blood relation; we’re related through my sister and her husband. He had a daughter before they married.” The story had holes, but it was the best he’d concocted since it was simple and didn’t necessitate a lot of additional lies or memorization of false facts or dates. “Fine fine, don’t tell me. It’s not me you’ll have to worry about though if the Central Government ever finds her here,” the stranger said. “They’re the ones that brought her here actually,” Calvin said with a smile. “And she’s lived here for nearly five cycles since.” * * * Calvin looked at the time when his door chimed unexpectedly. The guy wanting the travel credentials for his daughter hadn’t shown up hours earlier – and that was aside from his demand not to show up should violence erupt. As it stood now, simply being a black man in Las Vegas posed a lot of danger for him this evening. “Who is it?” Calvin asked into the intercom. “CJ Guild officers sir, we have someone here who says she belongs to you.” Calvin felt a lump form in the back of his throat. “Come on up.” He pressed the button next to the speaker and began mulling over scenarios and answers. He always kept his tools of the trade under lock and key unless he was in the process of using them, so there’d be no way they could find any evidence of his involvement in the minority movement by just barging into his flat. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t create a reason though. After the death and mayhem earlier in the day, anything seemed possible now. After one knock, Calvin opened the door and found three bulky men in gray fatigues escorting a young, pale red headed girl with a look of sheer terror on her face. He knew in that instant the blasted father from earlier was the culprit, and that he had to think fast. “Thank you for bringing her by officers,” Calvin said warmly. He knelt down slightly and stood eye level with Veronica. “Where have you been young lady, we’ve been terribly worried about you with all the ruckus outside.” The officer answered instead, “We found her passed out in an alley beside the riot route. She’s lucky she didn’t get caught up in the violence down there.” “I’d say so. We made a call when we realized she was gone. My sister is still out with her husband looking in fact,” Calvin said. “So this isn’t your child?” one of the other officers asked. “Well obviously not officer,” Calvin said with a smile. He stood and extended his hand to the officer to introduce himself. “I’m Calvin Eucker. I’m her uncle by marriage. Her father married my sister. They’re out there right now trying to find her too… we’ve all been worried sick this evening.” “What do you have to say for yourself Miss Veronica?” the first officer asked. Veronica had to continually repeat her father’s words in her head to prevent herself from breaking down into a good cry right then and there. “I’m sorry Uncle Calvin.” She held out her arms, closed her eyes, and pretended like she was reaching for her father. Calvin picked her up and immediately felt terror trembling throughout her being. “It’s alright now Veronica. You’re going to be fine.” “Please be more careful with your children sir, otherwise we’ll be forced to report your household to the local division of the Reclamation Program.” The officer nodded, and turned with his two companions to leave. “I guess it’s just me and you now Veronica,” Calvin said. * * * “So they didn’t question you for a moment then?” the stranger asked. “They were fresh out of training then,” Calvin said. “If that would’ve happened today, she and I would both be in some kind of holding cell God knows where.” Calvin motioned for the man to take a seat in the common room with him. “Come on Veronica, you may as well come too now that you’re out and about.” Veronica nodded and bounced into the room behind the two men. “Sorry Uncle Calvin.” “She’s got the uncle routine down pat, doesn’t she?” the man asked. “Well for all intents and purposes, I may as well be her uncle. Both of us are all that’s left of our respective families, so we only have one another. I really do consider her family now. And I usually try to keep her out of site when people come over so no questions arise.” He flipped a loaded eyebrow up in Veronica’s direction… a gesture not lost on her. “So how do you deal with education then?” the man asked. “Surely she’s not locked up in here constantly?” “She has to be. We can’t be seen together in public, and I’m afraid to let her go out these days with the increase in patrols. She does go out on occasion, but I’m there, following from a close distance.” “Sounds like a life not worth living to me,” the man said. “Why not just anonymously hand her over to the government and be done with it?” the man asked. Calvin sat forward in his chair and clasped his hands together. “That’s the part I left out from the story. You see, her father left a note on the back of the piece of paper he wrote my address down on. He asked me to take care of her since she was naturally born. If she can make it to puberty without inoculations, chances are they won’t do much damage even if they try to administer them to her. Her father asked me to take care of her, and it was his dying request.” “And how can you say no to something like that, right?” the man asked rhetorically. “Exactly,” Calvin said. “Veronica, would you be a dear and pour me an iced tea?” Calvin looked back to the man sitting across from him on the three-seat beige couch. “Would you like something Mr. Swilt?” “A water would be fine,” he responded. “Shall we get down to business?” Calvin nodded at Veronica, and she left the room. “Do you have the credits?” he asked. Mr. Swilt pulled a portable automated credit machine from his trench coat and placed it on the coffee table between them. “Just place your thumb down so I can credit your account.” Calvin smiled. “It doesn’t work that way.” He reached into the drawer of the end table next to his chair, pulled out a single digit cover, slipped it over his thumb, and pressed the cover down firmly on the machine’s scanner surface. “Dummy prints that filter into an account that can’t be traced to me.” “Smart man,” Mr. Swilt said. “I can see how you’ve survived here so long undetected.” Veronica walked back into the room carrying two glasses, and portioned them out accordingly. “I’m going to go work on my studies Uncle Calvin. Will you be in to tuck me in later?” she asked. “Of course. I’ll see you in a bit,” Calvin said. He turned back to Mr. Swift. “The last of the documents you requested are finishing up now, so we have a few minutes to kill. You arrived early.” “Oh, I apologize if I’ve put you out,” he said. He took a drink of his water and placed it on the coffee table. “Oh it’s no trouble, I just wanted to be ready for your arrival is all,” Calvin said. “Is your water cold enough? I can drop an ice cube or two in it if you need.” Mr. Swilt picked the glass up and took another thirsty drink. “No, it’s near perfect, thanks. I’m thirstier than I thought.” He took another drink. “Actually, it’s a side effect of the neuroflox in your water,” Calvin said casually. “And being a Central Government operative, I’m sure you know what that means.” “What do you mean?” Mr. Swilt said angrily as he drained the rest of the water from his glass. “I came here for documentation to get out of the country!” “Your British accent is atrocious, so even if I’d believed you were a real Brit, the border patrols wouldn’t,” Calvin said. “Besides that, you’re giving off too many other signs of your nature besides that.” Mr. Swilt began sweating, aching for more water. “Like?” “Like your questions about Veronica. Your casual conversation. Our kind doesn’t ask that many questions right off the bat. We establish trust and rapport, especially in sensitive situations like tonight. You walked in early, didn’t ask the right questions, and then inquired about enrolling her in public education knowing full well that I’d have to discuss her inoculation record. You stink of Central Government to high holy heaven.” Mr. Swilt appeared visibly agitated now and began losing his rigid control. “I… I… I need water.” “You need to give me answers, and then I’ll give you untainted water,” Calvin said. “How many people are in on your operation?” Mr. Swilt shook his head. “Classified.” “I hope they’re nearby then, because you’ll die without water if you continue on like this.” Calvin took a long, satisfying sip of his tea. “Are they here or in a remote location?” Mr. Swilt’s muscle control began failing, and he slumped over on the couch. He looked up at Calvin with a curious disdain, wondering how his cover was so easily blown – and how the neuroflox was so carefully administered. Somehow the man and the girl communicated to one another right in front of him without his knowledge. Calvin stood, walked over, and picked up the drooling man’s body from the couch and dragged him into the kitchen. “We’re going to get you situated here and either we get answers, or well… you know the alternative.” Mr. Swilt simply shook his head. “I take it by your non-response you believe you’ll live, which either means you have to check in by a certain time or you have a team standing by outside nearby. Either way, that’s all I need to know,” Calvin said. He tied the man to one of his metal framed kitchen chairs, gagged him, and walked casually through the flat to Veronica’s room. “Looks like we are going to have to head out tonight,” he said. “I figured,” Veronica said. “I really liked it here.” “I did too, but it’s not safe in the city anymore for people like us. We need to head somewhere else. Finish packing and meet me in the common room, okay?” Veronica nodded. “You’re not going to let him die, are you?” “I may need to sweetie. He knows too much already, and anything he knows they’ll know. All he has to do is talk to them. All the eavesdropping firewalls in the world can’t stop them from learning more about us at that point.” Calvin walked out of the room, leaving Veronica to her bag of clothes and memories. He walked back into the kitchen, stared Mr. Swilt down, and huffed. “I’ve had to teach that little girl a lot of things in her short life. She’s had to learn about death, survival, computer hacking, non-verbal communication, and more all on top of her normal studies. She’s had to learn to be afraid every time someone enters this flat. She’s had to live with the image of her parents being killed right in front of her. And now, tonight, she’s learning that even good guys have to take lives sometimes. I hope that makes you proud, Mr. Swilt.” Calvin walked over to Mr. Swilt, knelt down, and peered into his eyes. The man was almost gone. He had to make a choice whether he’d save him or not and if letting him leave was too high a risk. That’s when he glanced down and saw the tape. And attached to that tape was a listening device. Calvin tore the man’s shirt open, followed the wire, and traced it to a small storage device in his trench coat pocket. “Clever man. You knew I’d have the flat wireless-proof. You knew you’d have to walk out of here for them to get anything on me,” Calvin said. He pulled the storage device from the pocket, disconnected it from the wire microphone taped to Mr. Swilt’s body, and smashed it in his bare palm. “It’s too bad you had to die for nothing. You see, that girl in there is going to live free of men like you and the meddling you do.” Calvin turned and headed toward his common room where he’d begin collecting important terminal materials he couldn’t leave behind. Blank gloves for fingerprint imprinting, collections of fake identities, and his tablet all had to go with them if they wanted to stand any chance of making it out of the city. When he stepped into the room he knew none of that would happen though; just outside the flat’s front, he could hear men trying different skeleton combinations trying to get into his apartment. He ran down the hallway to Veronica’s room. “They’re here. Take what you have and go out the emergency exit. Make sure you have your ID kit with you, you’ll need it to get out of the city.” “I’m not leaving without you,” Veronica said weakly. “Come with me.” “I need to stay here to buy you time escaping. If they come in and we’re both gone, they’ll go straight for the alley. If I’m here and your door is shut and locked, they won’t immediately suspect you’re gone,” Calvin said. He looked back toward the common room. “They’ll eventually find a combination that gets them in, so go on now and get moving.” Veronica rushed up and hugged Calvin. “I love you. You’ve been as much a parent to me as my actual parents.” She pushed a wavy red bang back from her face so she could take one last look at Calvin. “Don’t fight them, ok? Maybe they won’t shoot you right away.” Calvin laughed. “Look at you, all grown up at ten cycles old, trying to help me out.” He hugged her tightly before walking out of the room, shutting the door, and waiting on the lock to flip. He walked into the kitchen, realized Mr. Swilt died sometime in his absence, and took a seat next to him at the kitchen table. He knew it would only be a matter of seconds, minutes max, before they got into his flat. To pass the time, he poured himself a second glass of iced tea, sat back down, and pulled his computer tablet over to do some belated news browsing. Back in Veronica’s room, panic set in quickly and ran thick. Motions felt murky rather than fluid. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Veronica knew this feeling – she was having a panic attack. After squatting on her bed with her head between her legs for a few seconds too long, she regained control and went about finishing packing so she could get out. The soundless exterior worried her. What was going on out there? Were they in yet? And if they weren’t in yet, how long would she have? What if they were outside waiting on her when she climbed down the ladder they’d installed onto the building exterior leading down from her window? Thoughts swam laps around her brain as she pushed long sleeved shirts, jeans, and memories into her shoulder bag. She wanted to travel light since it would just be her now, but the task seemed daunting with everything she wanted to take. One thing she made sure to take was the locket Calvin gave her for her ninth birthday a cycle prior. Though simple in design, she loved and cherished it. It consisted of a circular silver shell that opened up to reveal two sides for pictures. He placed a picture of her parents on one side, and one of her on the other. She later replaced her picture with one of Calvin – a gesture that meant more to Calvin than Veronica knew. She slipped the locket around her neck, pushed it beneath her over-shirt, and continued packing. Voices in the hallway signaled to Veronica that time was up – she had to go now or risk being captured by nameless men in grey. She zipped the dark blue shoulder bag, flipped it across her shoulder, and walked quickly to her window. Veronica turned and did one final glance at her bedroom – a room she’d never see again. Just glancing at the room’s surface, you’d never know Veronica was anything other than a normal kid in the 2750’s. She had posters with the latest holo-movie stars on her walls, a desk with homework along one wall (along with her desk terminal she had to leave behind), space for her tablet, and a bed on the adjoining wall with a deep violet bed spread and a line of shoes beneath the bed she kept in order by color and style. A look a little deeper though would reveal the hidden compartment in her closet where she kept her personal stock of terminal hacking equipment Calvin helped her build up as she learned how to use it. A false bottom in her desk drawer would reveal an encrypted index of safe houses in the area she could escape to if something were ever to happen to Calvin. And of course, the ladder outside her window served as the biggest reminder she was no normal girl. Veronica turned, opened the window, and began descending the ladder she and Calvin had installed two years prior after another Central Government scare. They thought they had no exit from the flat when soldiers entered the building on a random neighborhood sweep. At the last moment, just before the soldiers arrived at their flat door, the search stopped for some reason – whether they found something or decided to move on. At that moment they decided installing ladder escapes from both of their bedrooms had to take priority – and within a week they’d successfully installed them surreptitiously on either window. Veronica had climbed halfway down, taking her time to be sure she didn’t fall, when she heard noise in her room. They wasted no time in knocking down her door. She looked down to see how far she had to go, then back up at the window. Damn! She left the window open! Veronica descended faster. If she fell at this point, bones could break, but the bag could help cushion the fall. Voices from above shouted orders, and she knew they were already on their way back out toward the front door. Veronica closed her eyes, released her grip, and let herself fall from the halfway point to the firm ground below. She hit the ground hard and tucked into a small roll as she landed. Unfortunately, she twisted her right ankle in landing, and knew she had to walk quite a ways to get to the nearest safe house. Las Vegas really was a bad place to live these days. Veronica lifted herself up off the ground, determined to stay alive, and limped to the edge of the alley and looked out; she still had a clear route to get to the alley across the street. The solders hadn’t reached the front of the building yet thankfully. Halfway across the street she knew it. She knew escape had become a moot point. The sound of the men in gray fatigues didn’t signal her failure. The tranquilizer darts that hit her back seconds later didn’t hit the ball home either. She knew she’d failed Calvin long before the men picked her up from the ground in those last fleeting moments of consciousness. She knew she’d failed him when she didn’t think before she leapt out from the alley. They’d been waiting there for her. Of course they all hadn’t stormed the building. They knew she was there all along, and had come for her; she should’ve known that. After everything Calvin drilled into her in their survival lessons, she knew these things, yet instinct didn’t connect with knowledge when she needed it most. Before passing out completely, Veronica recalled being placed in the secure rear seat of a Reclamation vehicle. That could only mean one thing: she was being taken into the Reclamation Program. The utilitarian bucket seats and metal cage separating the front and rear of the vehicle only served as a warning of things to come for Veronica. She couldn’t think about that now though; dreamless sleep awaited her now, and an uncertain future. |
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The Radical Chronicles is Copyright © 2009 by Tim Peacock.
