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Authors: Lissa Trevor
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care. I just need to hitch a ride with them to California and find my pack.”
“Good morning, Lisa,” Bethany said as Lisa trotted back into the room. “I don’t know, Lucas. Two dogs and a Tech? Sounds like a bad radio play.”
There was a shimmer in the air, and where a dog was a moment ago, a tiger now stood. While it was small as tigers went, the teeth and claws looked pretty impressive.
“The lady and the tiger,” Lucas said, laughing at his sister.
Lisa’s ears flattened.
Lucas smiled, and Bethany was momentarily distracted by him. “So, uh, can you change into a tiger too?”
“A much bigger one,” he said.
“I bet. So twin tigers and a Tech? That’s not a bad team. Who else do we need? Hell, what don’t we need? I don’t know or trust a lot of people. And the ones I do won’t leave their tribes. Especially for a long, long trip to California. Even on horseback, we’ll be lucky if we get there before the end of the year. Maybe by the time we get there everything will be gone. Maybe by the time we get back everything here will be all gone.”
“Do you care?”
“No,” Bethany said and realized that she meant it. “But the people I would ask would care.”
“We’re at the mercy of who they send with us, if we can’t find allies.”
This was all a little much. But she felt a fire in her that hadn’t been in there in a long time. A new adventure and a chance to find her brother. That was certainly better than being a battery for a tribe.
“I’ll get you some clothes, and maybe we can do some searching around camp and see who else we can bring aboard.”
Lisa roared.
Chapter Five
Bethany
Bethany had to power up a bunch of batteries in trade for some knitted sweaters and heavy jeans, but it only took about three hours before she got Lucas his clothes. They ate breakfast together with Lisa and her friend Karen, who was going to join them. Then they all split up. Her head was aching, but she wasn’t done with the Tech for the day.
It was her turn to help run the hot water and electricity for the camp. She had six other Techs helping her, but the camp pulled a lot of energy. Then again, all the tribes in the Northeast were here by now. And all of them were lining up to experience some free Tech. She heard shaving razors and the whine of a hair dryer. Clacking keys and the grinding of an ancient printer entered into the cacophony as information was printed out and distributed via a photocopier that had seen better days—even before the meteor hit.
Her fingers started going numb, so she eased off pulling energy. Let them have a tepid shower for a few minutes. She flexed her fingers, and while feeling started to come back, her headache was a constant drone. It made her irritable and bone-weary tired. It was hard not to feel like another beast of burden, especially since the horses got fed and watered and allowed a brief rest after exertion. She’d found out last night that the farmer who had sold her Lisa had outsourced her to a few other people. That was the way it went. But it meant that by the time dinner was served at the great banquet, she’d be toast and would probably fall asleep during the opening speech.
She heard the hum of the solar and wind generators, and she felt an ease in her efforts. They were trying to mass-produce them, but without the energy to make the factory work, it was a handcrafted effort, and not many were willing to invest in the Tech. Still, the few machines they had were making their creators very, very wealthy. There was definitely progress being made. Perhaps in another twenty years, she wouldn’t be a freak of nature anymore. She’d settle for being an amusing oddity.
After a long morning, Bethany looked around for Lucas at lunch, but she was too wiped to make much of an effort. After eating a quick lunch, she sank into bed and pulled the covers over her head. She was thinking about finding Daniel and trying to will away the fatigue when the
“Good morning, Lisa,” Bethany said as Lisa trotted back into the room. “I don’t know, Lucas. Two dogs and a Tech? Sounds like a bad radio play.”
There was a shimmer in the air, and where a dog was a moment ago, a tiger now stood. While it was small as tigers went, the teeth and claws looked pretty impressive.
“The lady and the tiger,” Lucas said, laughing at his sister.
Lisa’s ears flattened.
Lucas smiled, and Bethany was momentarily distracted by him. “So, uh, can you change into a tiger too?”
“A much bigger one,” he said.
“I bet. So twin tigers and a Tech? That’s not a bad team. Who else do we need? Hell, what don’t we need? I don’t know or trust a lot of people. And the ones I do won’t leave their tribes. Especially for a long, long trip to California. Even on horseback, we’ll be lucky if we get there before the end of the year. Maybe by the time we get there everything will be gone. Maybe by the time we get back everything here will be all gone.”
“Do you care?”
“No,” Bethany said and realized that she meant it. “But the people I would ask would care.”
“We’re at the mercy of who they send with us, if we can’t find allies.”
This was all a little much. But she felt a fire in her that hadn’t been in there in a long time. A new adventure and a chance to find her brother. That was certainly better than being a battery for a tribe.
“I’ll get you some clothes, and maybe we can do some searching around camp and see who else we can bring aboard.”
Lisa roared.
Chapter Five
Bethany
Bethany had to power up a bunch of batteries in trade for some knitted sweaters and heavy jeans, but it only took about three hours before she got Lucas his clothes. They ate breakfast together with Lisa and her friend Karen, who was going to join them. Then they all split up. Her head was aching, but she wasn’t done with the Tech for the day.
It was her turn to help run the hot water and electricity for the camp. She had six other Techs helping her, but the camp pulled a lot of energy. Then again, all the tribes in the Northeast were here by now. And all of them were lining up to experience some free Tech. She heard shaving razors and the whine of a hair dryer. Clacking keys and the grinding of an ancient printer entered into the cacophony as information was printed out and distributed via a photocopier that had seen better days—even before the meteor hit.
Her fingers started going numb, so she eased off pulling energy. Let them have a tepid shower for a few minutes. She flexed her fingers, and while feeling started to come back, her headache was a constant drone. It made her irritable and bone-weary tired. It was hard not to feel like another beast of burden, especially since the horses got fed and watered and allowed a brief rest after exertion. She’d found out last night that the farmer who had sold her Lisa had outsourced her to a few other people. That was the way it went. But it meant that by the time dinner was served at the great banquet, she’d be toast and would probably fall asleep during the opening speech.
She heard the hum of the solar and wind generators, and she felt an ease in her efforts. They were trying to mass-produce them, but without the energy to make the factory work, it was a handcrafted effort, and not many were willing to invest in the Tech. Still, the few machines they had were making their creators very, very wealthy. There was definitely progress being made. Perhaps in another twenty years, she wouldn’t be a freak of nature anymore. She’d settle for being an amusing oddity.
After a long morning, Bethany looked around for Lucas at lunch, but she was too wiped to make much of an effort. After eating a quick lunch, she sank into bed and pulled the covers over her head. She was thinking about finding Daniel and trying to will away the fatigue when the
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