Unspeakable, Part 7

Next, Miles said, pointing to another doorway. That one’s empty, Ivan said. Is it? Miles said. Well, only one left then. Shylock steered them over to the corner.

Hello in there, Miles said. There was a long silence. You want us to just leave you alone? Miles asked. There was another silence, and then a voice said, no.

You may not have heard, Miles said, but there’s no judgment out here. No pressure either. Just a bunch of freaks getting to know each other. Okay?

Okay, the voice answered. A heavy set of footsteps came across the room towards Miles like a cheap thriller movie. Shylock backed up.

Into the light stepped a girl, awkwardly tall. Not quite as big as Ivan, but big. Her hair, unlike Sally’s fine mane or Connie’s close locks, hung long, stringy and mangled around her face, and she peeked through it. Her arms were long and dangling, her hands big. But that wasn’t all.

What really added impact to her height and her wild appearance began at the waist. Her hips were wide, and her thighs were thick with muscle. Then came her knees.

Here everything seemed magnified, twice normal size. Her calves were bigger even than her thighs, and solid. A slight taper at the ankle, and then there were her feet.

They weren’t just big and bare, there was something else. Something about them was more solid, gripping the ground like claws or the hand-like foot of an ape.

Unlike Mander, however, she did not hold herself in a wide stance. She tucked her legs as close together as they would allow, rubbing one foot with the other.  

Oh honey, Connie said, I almost hate to ask your name. The wild girl looked over at her through her curtain of hair. Sequoia, she said softly.

Connie threw up a hand. If I ever see the council again, I’m going to smack them all upside the head, she said. Who put them in charge of us anyway? I didn’t vote.

You tell ‘em, Miles said with a chuckle. Well, come on in, Sequoia, he said, beckoning to her, meet the gang. I’m Miles, this is Shylock. She ducked her high head in greeting.

Shylock steered Miles over to the table, and Miles gestured around at the others. And this is Mander, Sally, Connie, and Ivan. Sally waved. Hello, Sequoia whispered.

She took a step closer, and stopped when her footstep resounded around the walls. Oh, she said, it’s louder out here. There was a flush of color beneath her hair.

Miles and Connie shared a look. Ivan rose and put a hand on Sequoia’s shoulder. I’ll get you a seat, he said. He went into his room, and when he came back, he helped her sit, like a gentleman.

Thank you, Sequoia said. Well, Miles said, now that we’re all together, Sequoia’s introduced the issue quite well: it’s been too damn quiet around here for too damn long.  

I don’t know about you guys, he said, glancing around with some trepidation, but I’m going crazy down here. I- I’m used to a lot more people around than-than just me.

He was keenly reminded of how different things had been. So much light, so much warmth. Classes to go to, training for long hours at a time, arena at night. And always lots of people.

It’s been awfully lonely, Sally said. Miles looked at her gratefully. How long have you been down here? he asked, If you don’t mind, that is.

She smiled and shook her head. I’ve been down here a while, she said thoughtfully, but not my whole life. I still remember the academy from when we were little. The nursery.

Her face softened a little at the memory. There were books to read, kids to play with. I went to classes, and even some early training. But there were always questions, sideways looks.

She cleared her throat and fingered her hair. They talked about dyeing it, she said, and continuing with my training as an operative.

I was going to say, Connie said. Sally smiled ruefully. I’d have been sad, she admitted. but it wasn’t the biggest problem. The wall-crawling, that was bad. I wish I’d never realized I could.

But to condemn you for that? Miles said skeptically. Sally sighed. Honestly? she said, I don’t think they sent me down here because of that. I think there was something else going on.

Like what? Mander asked. Sally’s brow furrowed in thought. They didn’t send me down here, she said, until I wouldn’t stop asking questions about my parents.

You asked about your parents? Sequoia whispered. You didn’t? Sally said. I didn’t have to, Ivan said dryly. The others looked at him. Did- did you ever try to get in touch? Sally asked.

Ivan looked at his hands. They kept me away from the mainframe, he said. I never got the chance to make a call. I’m not sure I even would have.

But your parents, Sally whispered. Don’t- don’t you feel connected to them? There was a note of desperation in her voice. Ivan shrugged a shoulder but wouldn’t look up.

Miles sighed. I think it’s optimistic of you to think of them as parents, he said. The organization’s breeding program is so -- depersonalized, I guess, that the parent thing is all but lost.

It’s never lost, Sally said instantly, but then looked down. At least, I hope not. There was a silence. I think my parents were a fling, Miles said dreamily.

Connie laughed in surprise. What? Miles smiled. Oh yeah, he said, I think my mother was in the organization, but my father was an outsider. One steamy night and poof! Here I am.

Just like that, Connie said, and where exactly do you envision this magical evening? Miles grinned. Vegas, he answered. A general laugh went up.

Vegas? Connie laughed. Sure, Miles said, you know what they say, what happens in Vegas… Mummy dear has work to do, so, dumps me in the nursery and moves on. Nice and tidy.

Connie chuckled. What a sad story. Miles shrugged. After a moment, Shylock spoke. What do you think happens, he whispered, if the father is in the Family and the mother’s not?

Depends, I guess, Miles said, looking at him thoughtfully. If the father knows, the Family comes and takes the kid, puts it in the Academy. If not, the mother decides.

The poor mothers, Sequoia murmured. They’ve got no connections to the Family, no obligations to the organization, but their baby is just snatched away from them, never to return.

Well, Shylock said hesitantly, staring at the wall by the archway, but the ones the mothers raise, the secrets, they-they suffer too. Never understanding who they really are. He lapsed into silence.

The whole system’s pretty--well, pretty fucked up, Ivan remarked. Agree, Mander said. Miles smiled a little, pleased by the progress they’d made, but he watched Shylock.