Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of violence.
Background
Archie and his companions flee Cougar Kin guards. Heading for the safety of the highway their pursuers are afraid to cross, disaster strikes.
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End of last chapter:
Rather than answering her question, Sani stopped short. He held up a cautionary hand, and they all fell silent once more.
"Run!" he cried out. "The road is just ahead."
On both sides, Cougar guards poured out from behind clumps of sage bushes and boulders. It was an ambush. Archie and the others ran.
The story continues:
The last hundred yards to the highway was an epic race. Archie and his companions took the lead, the Cougar guards sprinted close behind.
The refugees were winded, but need overcame fatigue, and desperation replaced fear. The road, just ahead, beckoned like a unrequited lover.
As he was running for safety, Sani stepped in a hole and fell to the ground. Koko, so close on his heels tripped over him and fell as well. As Archie ran to their aid, Cougar guards struck. . .
Archie reacted immediately. He punched, kicked, and wrestled several into submission. He was about to take on another, when he heard Ayala scream in terror.
Archie turned to see two men holding Ayala between them, and a third, slapping her. Archie grabbed a rock and flung it at the nearest man, knocking him in the head. The man dropped to the ground, disoriented and no longer a threat.
"Good shot," he heard Koko say. He looked over to find her standing, Sani right beside her. . . wise eyes full of rage.
Archie met the old man's gaze and returned it with understanding. It was up to them to make the escape happen. He turned back to Ayala and rushed her captors. He took both to the ground. The three began to roll around, trading powerful punches.
"That's quite enough," an authoritative voice boomed out.
Everyone froze in mid action... Junior had shown up. He stood tall and formidable in the evening light, small predatory eyes searching with intensity. His long, hooked nose pointed around until it fell on Ayala.
"Well, look who we have here. Koko, I would expect such behavior from you, but, Ayala, I can't believe you're part of this foolishness."
"She's a hostage," Archie said. "I tied her up and dragged her along with us."
"She isn't bound now. Ayala, are you a prisoner of these people?"
Ayala looked at her sister.
Dust covered Koko's clothing from her fall, and several scrapes were visible on exposed skin. Her eyes were narrowed in anger. A protective hand rested on her unborn child.
A vision of the pages in the book stood out in Ayala's mind. . . animals. They were only animals.
Ayala looked at Archie. He looked back with concern. He was giving her the chance to return to Hokee as she had left -- a leader of the Coyote House.
She returned her gaze to her sister . . . her twin. She made up her mind. "We're not going back, Junior. We know your father's ugly secret, and we're going to tell the world."
"You don't have either the courage or opportunity," Junior said. "Even if you were to get away from us, you'd be a fool to tell outsiders. They'd slap you in a cage and perform all sorts of terrible experiments. They wouldn't understand you like Dad. You're his creation, and he cares for you like a father."
"Father?" Ayala asked. "Is that what he thinks of himself? Well, he's not my father, and he's not really yours, either. You're just as much an animal as the rest of us."
"What're you talking about?" Koko asked. "It's whatever you read in that book, isn't it? Junior, what has your father done?"
"He's given us a gift," Junior replied. "We're all part of a brilliant genetic movement."
"Genetic movement?" Koko asked. "I've heard this rhetoric all my life. What does it mean?"
"It means we're made of a mixture of animal and human DNA," Ayala explained, "and it's way too long a story to tell here."
"That's crazy," Koko said. She shook her head as though in doing so, she could shake away the disgust she felt.
"I know how it sounds, Koko. Believe me, I was so horrified when I heard about it, I could have died. But Archie believes in us, and he says we have rights. He's willing to use his influence to help us."
"Animals don't have rights," Junior sneered. "Don't you realize my father could kill you bunch of criminals anytime he wants, and not even be prosecuted for it?"
"Not true," Sani disagreed. "From what I've read in your book, he has to have reasonable cause to kill, and then it must be done in a humane manner."
"That was in the first chapter. You should have read on. Apparently you didn't see the danger clause."
"The what?" Archie asked.
"A clause stating that if any of the animals turn renegade, they must be destroyed at once," Junior said, "and that we, and that includes any Hawk or Cougar, may use whatever force is necessary to do so."
"You're obscene," Koko stated.
"Me, obscene? At least I don't have a monster growing in my belly." Junior pointed at Koko's bulging middle. "Not only is carrying a baby vulgar, you have no idea what it is. Carrying a puppy, Coyote Girl?"
"That's enough," Sani said. His voice rose above all other sounds, his words reverberating across the prairie. "Get to the point, Junior."
"Fine. Return with me to Hokee and you'll live. Leave and we'll have you shot on sight."
"I'm not a Hufac and neither is Sani," Archie said. "You have no authority over us, and can be prosecuted if we're harmed."
"True, but, unfortunately, I found you mauled in the desert by these renegades. I tried to save you, even shot the animals responsible for the attack, but unfortunately, I was unable to rescue you in time. Quite a sad situation."
"No, you're a sad situation," Archie snarled. His hand involuntarily balled up in a fist.
"I'm just an animal like the rest in Hokee," Junior returned. "So, you can't really blame me for any mistakes. I can't be expected to think things out like you, nor held accountable for human morals."
Archie's anger boiled over, pushing him to allow impulse to overcome discretion. He lunged in and punched Junior in his face. Blood spurted over both combatants as the hooked nose broke. Junior paused for a moment, as though not sure what to do about resistance, then responded with a jab at Archie's throat causing the larger man to bend over and gasp for air.
"That was a quick," Junior laughed. "Is that all you've got, Senator?"
Archie drove his head into Junior's solar plexus, bringing him to his knees. Junior swept a foot across the sand, aiming at Archie's feet. Archie stumbled, regained his balance, and then executed a roundhouse kick to Junior's head.
Everyone held their breath as they watched Junior's head snap back, but Junior shook his head and regained his footing. He drove a fist into Archie's gut, and then another. Archie grabbed him around the neck and pulled his face down into a raised knee.
Desert dust filled the air, causing the spectators to cough, and their eyes to tear in protest.
Out of nowhere, a blinding flash obscured all vision. Confused, Archie dropped to his knees. He heard Junior hit the ground beside him. He felt around in hopes of finding a rock to smash him in the head, when his hand fell on a shoulder instead.
"Ayala?"
"Archie?"
"Yeah."
"Let's get out of here."
"Where's the road? I can't see a thing?"
"I remember the way. Just follow me."
"What about Koko and Sani?"
"I can't see them, but they're probably making for the road, too. I suspect our odd little companion is responsible for the diversion, and he and Koko were standing together."
"Okay, but if they aren't there waiting, I'm coming back. Without Koko, I have no reason to run away."
"And without Sani," Archie added, "we won't know how to get to Mine City."
Author Notes
A very special thanks to fellow writer, artist, and friend, SCHATZLING for her work, "Fragmented Disposition".
A note on the purpose of the animal DNA discovery. This book is intended to be Science Fiction and Fantasy, but it has an underlying theme. There have been groups of people throughout time that have been treated as less than human, even experimented on in some cases. it's also to bring up any discrimination against other groups of people. It happened in the past, and is still happening today. The poor, ethnic groups, sexual orientation, mental illness, people from other countries, etc. There is a lot of different types of experimentation where we try to "cure" what we don't understand. It is my intention to use a fantasy environment to teach cultural tolerance, while telling a yarn. Thank you to those of you who look beyond the story.
Summary of the book so far:
Archie Franklin is a United States Senator from the State of Texas. He's also the President's son.
He was traveling the west, scoping out New Mexico for a committee he was on, when a deer ran in front of his Ferrari and caused him to crash.
He was rescued from the desert by a group from a cult-like village called Hokee. In this town, the people are part of an experiment to improve the human condition by taking orphans and raising them isolated from many of the modern conveniences that make mankind weak.
The children, as young as 5, are placed in houses named after animals, but otherwise taught animals are dangerous and unclean. Each "house" has a particular job in the community based on the attributes of the representative animal.
The leader, Leander, chooses what children are brought to the village. He doesn't want anyone to know about the compound so they can maintain isolation. Archie is now a prisoner, but has befriended a young lady, Koko, whose husband has come up missing, and is assumed imprisoned in a penal mining colony.
Working against odds, the two hope to escape and protect Koko's unborn child. Having babies at stage one of the experiment is forbidden by the scientists in charge. Teens are sterilized at puberty to avoid pregnancies, but occasionally one will be conceived. Standard operating procedure is to perform an abortion, but Koko is willing to fight against all she's grown up to believe to give her child a chance at life.
Now, Archie, Koko and Sani have escaped the complex after the old miner, Sani, set off an explosive distraction. On the way through a fence, they ran into Ayala, Koko's "sister" who tried to stop them. In order to ensure her silence, they tied her up and took her with them.
After traveling all night, they stopped at dawn to dig a shelter under the sand. Covering themselves with a blanket they wove from plants, they are resting from enemies and the heat of the day.
Archie and Koko begin to read a book Archie rescued from Hokee before they left. It is the story of the experiment called The Humanity Project.
These are the 12 houses of Hokee:
Hawk: Where Leander Jr. lives. They are the strict rulers of the compound, answerable only to Leander Sr..
Cougar: The strong arms of the Hawks. They dish out whatever punishment is required, even to sending miscreants to another settlement they have up North in the mines.
Coyote: The one Archie and Ayala are in: Job: Teachers and professors. Allowed more knowledge of the "outside world".
Ant: Considered unclean, these people tend meat and fur animals outside the village
Tarantula: Architects, and menders
Donkey: Transportation and communication
Wasp: Prepare and serve food
Deer: Sports and entertainment
Hare: Make and distribute clothing
Rat: Childcare
Snake: healthcare
Buzzards: Clean up crew, maintain sewer and custodial chores
General Summary of the Book:
Young Texas Senator, Archie Franklin, finds himself marooned in the desert with a group of people who are more than they appear to be on the surface.
Hokee: Name of the village Archie is held in. It means, "The abandoned."
Characters:
Archimedes (Archie) Franklin: High energy, main protagonist, who is, also, a Senator from Texas, and son of the President of the United States, Andrew Franklin.
Ayala: Female head of household in the house Archie finds himself imprisoned.
Andrew (Andy) Franklin: President of the United States, and father of Archie.
Koko: Ayala's best friend in Coyote House, close as sisters, born on the same day.
Todd: Koko's husband
Sani: Old man. Used to be a miner up north. Another trapped refugee from the desert. An ally in the quest to escape.
Leander: Head scientist in charge of the structure of Hokee. His son, Leander, is in charge of daily operations.
Junior: Leander's son, who lives in the Hawk house. He's personally a coward, but rules Hokee with an iron fist.
Others to be listed as they appear in the book.
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