Page 24 of Semi-Human

I open my eyes in a room I don’t recognize while lying on a comfortable mattress. There’s a weird haze around my senses, yet I don’t feel pain, which means I must have been out for hours.

I sit up, taking in the small room around me. There’s nothing here but the bed I’m lying on. My clothes are gray and plain, but they’re clean and don’t smell like sweat. I walk to the window and pull back the curtains. The view takes me by surprise. I’m clearly inside one of the city’s skyscrapers I’ve only ever seen from afar.

I try to control the hope that kindles in my chest. Being here doesn’t mean I’ll see River, but it’s the closest I’ve been to him in weeks.

It’s daylight, and I can see the massive wall, but it’s too far to spot the thousands of working slaves. I try to open the single door, but it’s locked. I sit on the bed, trying to gather my thoughts, though my brain is still foggy from whatever they gave me for the pain. I try to recall anything that might have happened since I passed out from the piercing pain, but there’s nothing but darkness.

I snap my head toward the door when I hear someone entering. At the sight of River, I jump to my feet. He shuts the door behind him, smiling and looking healthy in his white clothes.

“You’re awake!”

He hurries to hug me.

I bury my face in the crook of his shoulder, the anxiety I’ve been carrying for so long fading away.

He pulls back and says, “I’ve missed you.”

“Well, why didn’t you come see me? Are they treating you well?”

I want to ask him about Mother’s plan, but I don’t know if someone’s listening.

“Everyone here is nice,”

he surprises me by saying. “They update me every day about you, but they didn’t let me see you so I could settle in without interruptions.” His face falls as he scans my bruised face. “What happened?”

I don’t want to get into that; it won’t make any of us feel better. “I got into a bit of trouble, but I handled it.”

“Of course you did.”

He kisses my lips. “Come, let me show you around.”

He holds my hand and pulls me outside. We walk down a lavish hallway, my bare feet stepping on a long and soft red carpet.

“What is this place?”

I ask quietly.

“It used to be a hotel many years ago, but now it’s the headquarters. I’ll show you the view from the roof.”

He lowers his voice. “We can talk in private there.”

I nod, sighing in relief because I’m about to find out what’s really going on.

We enter an elevator, and as soon as we start climbing, I kiss him. He kisses me back, but with less enthusiasm than I expected, so I stop. He smiles like everything’s fine, and maybe it is. I glance around the small space, wondering if they can see us here.

“Do they know you’re taking me up there?” I ask.

“Yes. They agreed for you to be my guest.”

The elevator stops. When we step out, I’m dumbstruck. I’ve seen my share of breathtaking views in Colorado, but standing on top of the world with the open desert and blue sky spread in front of me is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The wall seems insignificant from up here, a mere line on the horizon.

“I like coming here,”

River says, wrapping his arms around my chest from behind. “I look down and try to spot you, but I can’t see that far.”

I lean my head back, relaxing in his arms. “I’ve also been looking at the city and trying to spot you.”

“Now you found me.”

But only because they decided I finally could. “Tell me what’s going on.”

He kisses the side of my neck, my skin responding to his touch. “Everything’s going according to plan.”

“Which part?”

He turns me around to face him. “What we talked about.”

I open my mouth, then close it. I don’t know if he’s referring to getting Father’s code for the purifiers or using the algorithm against him. But I worry about talking about any of those plans out loud, even though River seems confident we truly are alone.

I nod. “Okay. As long as you’re happy with things.”

He narrows his eyes as if he expected me to say something else. “What do you think I should do next?”

“Me? I don’t know. You’re the one who’s been living with them for all this time. What did you learn?”

“That they aren’t as bad as we thought. They’re willing to negotiate if people are willing to listen.”

I don’t know how to respond. Based on everything I know of the New-Humans, it doesn’t make sense for them to negotiate. “They’re lying to you, River. We’ve seen who they are and what they’re capable of.”

He crosses his arms. “I still have doubts, but they have a point about the world being a bad place that needs fixing.”

“Destroying settlements and keeping slaves isn’t fixing.”

“I don’t want to make you upset.”

He sighs. “What do you think I should do next?”

He already asked me that, and I’m getting even more confused. I can’t possibly know what has been going on between him and his captors, so how can I advise him about the next steps for taking down Father?

My eyes shift to the glass framing both sides of the elevator. I frown at my reflection.

“Josh?”

I walk toward the glass, my pulse growing louder in my ears.

“Josh, what’s wrong? We’re talking.”

I try not to jump to conclusions, but my stomach swirls as I stare at my reflection, focusing on the bruise on the side of my face from the attack in the container. I might still be hazy from losing consciousness, but I know for a fact that unless my memory’s fucked, the bruise should be on the left side of my face—not the right.

I clench my fists and turn around. River—though it can’t be him—watches me with confusion. The more I look at him, the more I notice the subtle inaccuracies. The shape of his nose is a little off, and the fullness of his lips is not quite right.

“Father?”

I ask, my blood cold as ice.

Fake-River sighs. Behind him, the blue sky morphs into gray mist. It dawns on me that from the second we set foot out here, I haven’t heard any sound coming from the city. I no longer feel stable, realizing I’m not even standing. River fades away, and I’m relieved I’ve kept my mouth shut, though even the little I said feels too much.

My head begins to throb as if someone is kicking my skull. I grimace and try to hold my head, but I can’t control my limbs.

“Relax.”

The voice comes from everywhere, feminine and sweet. Seconds later, the pain begins to fade while the world around me is pitch black. I become aware of the chair I’m sitting on and the weight pressing against my head. I would have been panicking if I hadn’t felt something similar before when River took me to speak with Mother.

When I can finally open my eyes, I pull the helmet from my head, feeling the pain where the baton hit my back. I touch my face, relieved that the bruise has returned to the left side. I’m alone in a round hall, the walls white and smooth. There are more chairs like the one I’m sitting in, all arranged in a circle.

“Hello?”

My voice echoes.

“Behind you,”

says the feminine voice.

I turn around to see a white door, almost invisible against the smooth wall. My legs wobble as I walk. I’m wearing the same plain clothes I did while speaking to fake-River, but they feel less comfortable now. I hesitantly open the door.

“Come in.”

It’s a large office with bare walls and no windows. A middle-aged woman sits behind a long, wooden desk. Even sitting, I can tell she’s very tall, but not as tall as the New-Humans I’ve seen. Her hair and eyebrows are completely white, her skin almost as pale. I take a breath and sit in front of her, noticing that the wooden table is covered with a layer of glass.

“You’re a clever boy,”

she says. “I thought it would take you a bit longer to figure it out.” From this close, her voice sounds older than before.

“How long have I been here?”

“A few hours. I was already planning on having you come over, but when you found yourself in that… predicament, it felt like as good a time as any.”

I want to ask about River, but I don’t want to reveal how worried I am. I’ve already given her enough ammunition.

“My name is Mara,”

she says. “I’m Father’s first. Well, technically the Semi-Humans—as your people insultingly call them—were the first, but I was the first of my kind.”

“You don’t look like the others.”

Even her eyes seem normal, brown instead of milky.

“I was the only one of my wave who survived. It was Father’s first attempt to restart his research with a few loyal scientists. The others you saw are a more mature version of Father’s work.”

“Are you speaking for him?”

“As much as one can.”

“Was he there when I had the fake conversation with River?”

“He wasn’t. You don’t deserve Father’s attention, and for your sake, I hope you never will.”

She leans back, eyeing me closely. “You’re the first Defender we’ve ever met. I wonder what stories they have told you about the war between our people.”

Her voice remains calm, but the intensity in her eyes serves as a warning. “The stories they told us were vague, but I now know the truth.”

“Well, I guess that’s better than nothing, but what you have recently learned, I have lived. Father doesn’t hide the truth from his children. I recall the horrors of the past as if they happened to me. The first wave of enhanced humans successfully turned the air breathable. A few months later, with cancer already spreading in their bodies, they spotted an armed force approaching. They were stupid—no, they were naive enough to believe that those people sought them out to offer gratitude and friendship. Should I describe to you their horror at being gunned down by those they were made to save? How they had to turn into warriors in a matter of minutes as their brothers and sisters died around them? Or maybe about their self-loathing for taking humans’ lives, even when there was no other choice?”

My skin burns with guilt over something I had no control over. I don’t want to accept the horrors my people have caused, but I can’t escape the truth. “I’m sorry,”

I say, though my words mean nothing.

Mara gives a thin smile. “Water under the bridge, as they say. Now, be a good boy and have a look at this, please.”

The table between us blinks like a screen, showing a detailed map. My stomach tightens since I know these mountains, valleys, and lakes of Colorado.

Mara taps the map with a long, delicate finger. “What’s there?”

I hesitate. Does she really expect me to play along?

“Josh, I asked you a question.”

“Don’t know.”

She moves her finger. “There?”

“Don’t know.”

“There?”

“Don’t know.”

She places her finger where the Hive Mercy is. “There?”

“Don’t know.”

“There?”

Her finger taps on Unity.

“Don’t know.”

“Thank you.”

I hold her gaze, confused. “For what?”

“For telling me the location of your two remaining Hives.”

My heart pulses in my throat. “I didn’t.”

She smiles sweetly. “All it takes is a small change in your blood pressure and breathing rhythm. You humans are but a plain and boring book.”

My guilt mixes with anger. I should have refused to even look at the map.

“Where’s River?”

I ask, done with her bullshit.

“River is where he belongs, with his own kind. He’s not thrilled at the moment, but he will be eventually. I can be patient.”

She crosses her fingers on the table. “Mother is good at keeping secrets, and she taught her puppets well. River is hiding something, and we’d rather be polite in our search. It seems, though, that you might know what River is concealing.”

I keep my face stoic and my body still, but I can’t control my heartbeat. “I have nothing to say.”

“Of course. Come, let’s go breathe some fresh air.”

“I want to see River. Please.”

“And you will.”

She stands—all eight feet of her. “Betraying the location of your home should come with a little reward, don’t you think?”

*

We take the elevator down; the ceiling is only a few inches above Mara’s head.

We exit into a massive lobby where five giants sit around a table, talking loudly while eating the most meat I’ve ever seen in one place.

They become quiet at the sight of Mara, nodding their respect as she passes.

Everything around seems like how I imagined an old castle would: shiny, grand, and unnecessary.

Nothing about the dozens of chandeliers and sculptures feels like it serves any purpose other than vanity.

Human servants stand aside with their heads bowed, waiting to be summoned.

We walk through tall double doors, where four soldiers keep guard.

Outside, people walk freely in the street, none appearing to be slaves.

I wonder if they know that not far from here, people like them are being put to work until they can barely stand.

They must know.

After being inside for so long, the sun feels nice against my skin.

It’s early evening, so the temperature will soon drop.

As we walk down the street, everyone who notices Mara bows, and she ignores them all.

We pass next to a tall golden statue of a man holding a baby.

The man is unmistakably the one I saw in the old photos—Dr.

Ivan Volkov.

I slow down to read the line engraved at the foot of the statue.

From the ashes of a broken world, we shall rise.

Few to lead, the rest to follow.

We continue walking and turn right into a wide, open space that must have once been a parking lot.

I halt at the sight of four choppers, but Mara continues to walk, so I hesitantly follow.

We climb into one of the choppers, and I strap myself to my seat.

Despite her height, Mara sits comfortably next to me.

This chopper seems different from the one I flew to get here, built for travel rather than for fighting.

We take off immediately, the sound deafening until I put on a heavy headset.

We fly above the city, giving me a chance to take in the sheer size of it.

In less than two minutes, we pass over the wall.

Mara points down.

I lean to look, my breath catching in my throat. My biggest fears lie on the desert floor: tanks, choppers, and hundreds of tents that must be housing thousands of soldiers.

And now they know where Unity is.

“Why haven’t you attacked Colorado yet?”

I ask, my mouth dry as the desert floor.

“All in due time. California has proven to be a challenge. They have their own armies, and our war with them is slow and bloody.”

“Why are you showing me this?”

“Now that you have a better understanding of what you’re up against, I hope you will convince River to cooperate. There is no shame in surrendering when the alternative is ten times worse. Your help may even save your Hive—we can use more fighters and a base of operations in Colorado.”

I stop myself from saying that my people will never surrender. Once the assembly learns of what we’re facing, I can’t imagine them taking part in a war we can’t possibly win.

“I want to see River,” I say.

“To convince him?”

“To talk to him.”

Mara smiles at the corner of her lips and tells the pilot to take us back.

*

Back in the New-Humans’ headquarters, I wait in a beautiful room, sitting on a wide bed. I’m anxious, worried they might try to trick me again. I could be lying now on a chair in that white hall for all I know, the helmet back on my head. I pinch my arm, but the pain can be a lie. At least the bruise on my face is still on the correct side.

When the door finally opens, I stand up, holding my breath.

It’s him. I was wrongly sure of that before, but there’s no doubt in my mind. He’s wearing black, making his pale skin stand out more.

He seems surprised to see me, narrowing his honey-colored eyes as he shuts the door. “Are you the real Josh?”

They must have tried to trick him as well. “I’m real. How can I prove it to you?”

“What was the first thing I ever said to you?”

I let my memories play until I can’t help but smile. “Nice butt.”

He jumps on me, making us fall on the bed. I kiss him, holding him tightly as if he might fade.

“You’re okay,”

he says in relief. “I felt you for a while, but then I couldn’t anymore. What happened to your face?”

“An accident. I’m fine.”

He rests his head on my chest and sighs deeply. “They make me feel fuzzy, then they ask me questions. So many questions. About Mother, about my village, about my plans. I’m starting to slip, Josh. I’m not very strong.”

I hold him tighter as he shudders on top of me. “You’re stronger than any of them.”

I kiss his head, then quietly ask, “Have you spoken with Father yet?” Have you gotten a chance to sabotage him?

“No. Only Mara speaks with Father. I wanted to present myself, but they refused. I didn’t push.”

Of course he didn’t push, because that would have been suspicious.

“I ask them every day to let you come here, but they want me to get used to living with my own kind.”

He whispers, “They are not my kind. I’m not like them.”

I can’t help but notice that he sounds less sharp, as if he’s about to fall asleep. “I know you’re not like them, and don’t worry about me, okay?”

I force out the lie. “I’m doing fine.”

He nods, unable to see through my crap, which I’m grateful for.

“I don’t feel like myself anymore,”

he says sadly. “Maybe I’m no longer River. Maybe I’m nothing.”

I suck in a breath as my eyes sting. Being powerless to help him is torture, but I can’t show him my pain. “We’ll figure something out.”

It dawns on me that I have been looking at this all wrong. Instead of thinking of a way to get us out of here, I was waiting for River to be the one to lead. He clearly can’t do that, so it will have to be me who reclaims our freedom.

“Where did they put you?”

he asks sleepily. “They told me it was somewhere nice.”

I hold back my anger, taking comfort from his familiar warmth. “I’m not far from here. I get some exercise during the day, and it’s nice in the evenings when the sun begins to set.”

“How’s the food?”

“Great. A lot of meat and vegetables.”

“I’m happy they’re nice to you, but I miss you all the time. I want us to be in my village again, taking care of the garden. They tell me I can’t see my home again, but I want to very much.”

My tears run freely. It takes all I have to not rush out of this room and murder each of those giants.

“Do you trust me?”

I ask, though it comes out as a sob.

He raises his head and wipes my cheeks. “More than anyone.”

“Then let me figure it out, okay? I can do that.”

He rests his head on my chest again. “Okay. I’m going to listen to your heart now. It speaks to me.”

I let him listen, hoping he isn’t sharp enough to understand what my heart is truly feeling. I slide my fingers through his hair, stroking his back with my other hand. Never have I wanted so badly for time to simply cease, to exist between what was and what will be.

A few minutes later, the door opens. Two soldiers tell me it’s time to leave.

I kiss River and put on a brave face before walking out of the room.

They drive me back to the barracks in a military jeep. I lie in the dark between snoring men, surrounded by the heavy stench of unwashed bodies. Until I fall asleep, all I think about are dead giants, slain by my hands.