The Girl who Lived by Bard Constantine

Author:Bard Constantine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult, dystopian, science fiction, sci fi, short story, female lead, poc, black female
Publisher: Bard Constantine
Published: 2020-07-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4: The Escape

Two years have passed since I claimed my freedom—two years of scraping a living from the wilderness, learning about my new world and its inhabitants. I learned humans do live in the free world, and that most of them are vicious animals. The scars of my education adorn my body. My muscles are stronger, my fingers hardened with the weight of violent acts.

I have also learned that good people still exist. They hack out a living from a world that fights them at every turn, but they unyieldingly persist. Many castes of caring people have taken me in. Tribes formed not by family ties or racial bonds, but by a collective sense of humanity.

It's among them that the Resistance forms.

David is ever-present on my mind, and it was in hopes of rescuing him that I joined the attacks on the machine bases to free the human inhabitants. As always, it's a case of patient study to find the patterns and weaknesses of the compound, then exploit them at the opportune time.

We liberate the captives and help integrate them into a free society. Not everyone is quick to adapt, but we're determined. Humanity will no longer be subject to the whim of slavery and indoctrination by soulless machines. We will continue to spread and resist them one base at a time. Bit by bit, our message spreads.

The Resistance leaders recognize that my participation influences potential recruits more than their enlisting efforts ever could. Through idealized posters, placards, bulletins, and word of mouth, I become the face of the oppressed—a symbol of inspiration. Once a prisoner, I emancipated myself and survived against all the odds. Those who don't know the name Zina know me by my description.

They call me the Girl Who Lived.

☣

Another day, another mission. I hide in the abandoned ruins of a train station. Ivy claims the walls, threading in the crevices where it exacts revenge on the dead concrete. Water drips from the cracks in the ceiling, feeding the sprouting patches of grass that thrive where thousands of feet once strode. The shadows cloak me as I wait for the arrival of the train.

Railroads were the first transportation methods to be revived. The tracks were repaired and extended, allowing passage across the remains of civilization, and more importantly, to the various Havens.

I have yet to see a Haven in person, but I know they're out there, controlling the activities of the bases that breed and indoctrinate humans. The location of the Havens are closely guarded, and our surveillance has yet to track a positive position. But it has always been my goal to gain entrance into the Haven, and now I may finally have a chance.

The com in my ear buzzes. My squad leader's voice crackles over the line. "Okay, Zina. Here we go."

The squeal of the train's brakes is audible long before it's visible. Their sensors picked up the stack of junk placed on its tracks from miles away. There is no choice but to stop and allow the drone units to clear the tracks before travel can resume.

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