Four years later…
Lydecker carefully opened the envelope that he had found taped to his front door. It simply said "Dad" on the front of it, and out of the two people that had ever called him that; this definitely wasn't Cole's handwriting.
16 July 2025
Dad,
I know this was the last thing that you were expecting to ever see, but I wanted to let you know that things are good for me where I am now. It's been real hard adjusting to life on the outside, and yes, sometimes I do miss home, and the life I led there. I think about all of the things I did, and the others, and you even, and I want to go back to being sixteen, and the ruler of the world. At least, that's what I felt like then.
Then I see my little boy. He's perfect. He's a little hellion, and I often wonder how you guys managed to keep all of us in line. I'm far more skilled than he is, and I have a hard time keeping up. Sometimes, I see flashes in him, and I think X-7. He seems to know when someone is coming when he's doing something he's not supposed to be. I'll be thinking of something, like what I was going to get him for his birthday, and he'll look up at me, and get this devilish little smile, and I wonder if he heard what I was thinking.
He's happy too, and I know that, and in the end, that's what matters to me most. Had things been different, then we would have a four-year-old X-7 running around Manticore, being trained to be a solider that would surpass all of the sixers, but I'm glad that things turned out this way. He's living like a normal little boy. He has friends, and a family, and I know I made the right choice when I left.
I am sorry about what happened to Manticore, and you. My leaving, and the loss of Bryn was the deathblow for it. I heard that the other sixers were place into various branches of the government. I hope they're happy where they are. I found out that Cole went into the Air Force as a pilot. He loved to fly more than anything, so I hope things are well for him. I think about all of them a lot.
I wish things could be different for you though. You deserve the Medal of Honor for all that you did for this country, and not to "be retired". But, you're the one who told me that the people who really make history are the ones that are never mentioned in the history books. You said there should be monuments, but we'll never even see our names on a plaque. I've been thinking about when we were in DC, and I saw the Tomb of the Unknown Solider in Arlington Cemetery. Maybe that is our monument. It's fitting to have our monument as the one celebrating all of the nameless ones.
I wanted to let you know that I don't hold any hard feelings against you, despite everything. I believe that you were sincere in what you said to me about my son. If things had been different, I believe that I would have stayed. But, only the future can be changed. I have no plans to come calling on you. Manticore is over for me now, and my life will continue on. I hope you can go beyond it as well.
Alicia
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From the Des Moines Gazette, July 15, 2025
Woman Found Slain in Home
Neighbors discovered the body of Margaret Williams in her apartment yesterday, after hearing arguing and then a gunshot coming from the apartment. "There was a terrible racket going on," Williams' neighbor, Richard Cullen said. "Lots of yelling, and cursing like I haven't heard since I was in the service. I heard a woman yell about being a liar, and a stupid fool if they thought they could've caught her. I was about to call the police to shut them up when I heard the gunshot."
Williams was found with a single gunshot wound through the left temple. Eyewitnesses say that a single female jumped off of the third-story balcony, and ran into a neighboring apartment complex. Police were not able to locate the female who is now wanted in connection with the murder.
The woman is described as being Caucasian, and between the ages of twenty and twenty-five with long dark hair. She has not been seen in the area, but police caution that she should be considered armed and dangerous.
Williams had been living in the apartment complex for two years and neighbors say…
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For some reason Cole wasn't surprised at all when he saw the envelope with familiar handwriting in his mail. It had been four years, but he knew one day she would want to talk to him again. She must know about Manticore, and he wasn't surprised in the least that she knew his home address. He dropped the other mail onto an end table, and opened the envelope.
Cole,
Just thought you might want to see this. I miss you all. Maybe one day. Burn this when you're done. OK, at least hide it really good. Thank you for everything big brother.
Alicia
In the bottom fold of the paper, there was a single photograph of what looked like a Fourth of July celebration, but there was a banner in the back that said Happy Birthday Daniel on it. In the center of the picture Alicia was laughing, and trying to sit on a log. She was holding a baby girl in her lap, all dressed up in a frilly red, white, and blue dress. Zack had his arms around her waist, and for some reason it looked like he was trying to yank her off the log, but he was laughing too. A little boy with cake on his face and a mischievous smile was standing on the log, looking like he was about to pounce into the fray.
Cole flipped the picture over to see what was printed on the back. Zack, Heather Jhondie, Daniel Cole and me, she'd written. Cole felt his eyes get moist, and he had to blink back the tears. She'd named him after Dana and himself. He looked at the picture again, and he knew, without the slightest doubt, that all he'd done to make sure she stayed free had been worth it. Maybe he'd get to see her again, and meet his nephew and niece.
Seeing the future had never been one of his mental talents, but he suddenly got an unmistakable feeling that some day Alicia would walk back into his life. She wasn't ready just yet, but he would see her again. It would do for now.