Trigs Kids: A Ladies Tale
Authors note: This is a companion piece to the story I wrote 'Trigs' (Hint hint Read and Review) this follows X5 437 and her adventures in New York. Some of the other X5's will show up eventually.
Manticore, 2009
Kiri sat alone in the high place, looking up at the stars. Zack and Eva were in the Barracks, working out how they were going to escape in a few nights. Jack was gone. Lyedecker took him away and cut him open. Kiri could never forgive him. Ben said that it was because they weren't loyal enough to the Blue Lady. Kiri figured it was because there was no Blue Lady. She sat alone up there, thinking, until footsteps joined her. Trigs, one of the few children older than her, a nice little girl who would not do what Manticore said, had shimmied up the drainpipe and was sitting next to her.
"Heya Baby Sister," said Trigs, "What's wrong?"
"What's not wrong?" said Kiri; "Jack's gone."
"So is Peeps," said Trigs.
"That was because of that Crow."
"Maybe."
"Are you going with Eva?" asked Kiri, looking up to her big sister.
"Yeah. I am getting out of here Kiri. All though I don't think I'll make it out with you guys."
"Why?"
"Because…"
"Why Trigs?"
"Because I heard Lyedecker talking. I'm a Nomolie."
"So?"
"I think I may leave tomorrow."
"No Trigs. Fight them."
"If I do, they'll out heavier security on you guys. You won't get out if I fight them."
"You'll get out Trigs."
"Did I say I wouldn't get out Kiri?"
"Basically."
"I won't get out with you, but I will get out."
"Can you tell me a story Trigs?"
"Like what?"
"Like those stories you see on TV."
"How about one about two Families who fought in Venice."
"Did Ben tell you this one?"
"No. The woman who teaches me about all those things told me."
"Penny?"
"Yeah. Once upon a time, there were two Families. One was called Montague, the other Capulet. They hated each other so much. They wanted to kill each other."
"Like you and Zack?"
"Sort of. Zack's my brother, he's just a little bit weird."
"Then why?"
"Well no one knows. They just really hated each other with a mad Passion Kiri."
"Like we hate Lyedecker?"
"Yes. So anyway, this family hated each other a lot. They fought a lot, and they sent their soldiers to fight. It was a big mess. Then one day, the Capulets had a big party, and a few of the Montagues came."
"That's not good."
"No, it's not. But out of that came love."
"How can two people who hate each other love each other Trigs?"
"The people didn't know. It was the son of the Montagues and the daughter of the Capulets. They fell madly in love."
"Did they live happily ever after?"
"Well they got married."
"Married Trigs?"
"They made a Promise to live together and love each other always."
"Did they? That's such a good story. They were different, yet they lived together and fell in Love."
"Well…"
"Love is the best. It conquers everything."
"Yeah," said Trigs, getting up and walking away from her little sister, wishing that she could have said what she meant, that love didn't conquer all.
*+*+*
"X5-631 will be taken away tonight," said Renfro to Lyedecker that day, as Kiri stood outside the door listening. Her blue eyes widened as she heard the thin woman say that her sister was going to be taken away.
"X5-631 is a wonderful soldier. She's fast, she's strong, she listens to me."
"You seem uncomfortable calling her X5-631. Would you rather me call her Trigsie, like the others call her?"
"No Ma'am."
"Well?"
"She doesn't deserve what you've done to her. If you take her, you'll cause unrest among the X5's."
"You said yourself that they don't listen to her. Her leaving will make them afraid of us, and fear is a tool. They're just children Deck."
"They're smart, and they don't think Trigs is crazy."
"We'll fix her Deck."
"You did this to her. You and those drugs."
"So what?"
"At least four of the X5's will be very upset at this."
"Who?"
"X5-437 for instance."
"Her?"
"Yes. She and X5-631…"
"Cut the crap and call them their names Deck. I know you know them better by their names."
"Kiri and Trigs are very close. I suspect that Trigs has been telling Kiri about the things that she's taught and those questions she asks."
"How do you know about that?"
"Max told me. Trigs knows more than she should, and that's why she's being taken away."
"X5-631 is a Abnormal X5, and is being taken away to be fixed."
"It's who she is."
"Then she'll end up in the basement with the X2's."
"Damn you."
"Deal with it Deck."
"Ben will have the in riots if you take Trigs away."
"Then you deal with it."
"Trigs…" said Kiri, running for the Barracks.
*+*+*
"Trigs, how does the story end?" asked Kiri, returning to the Barracks. She wanted to tell Trigs what was said, she wanted Trigs to run, but it wouldn't come out. Her training taught her that Lyedecker was god, and nothing could change it.
"The one I told last night?"
"Yeah," said Kiri, and with her hearing, she heard the sounds of footsteps outside coming closer.
"They get married."
"And live happily ever after?"
"Well…"
"Trigs, I love you," said Kiri, snapping to attention as Lyedecker entered, and took Trigs away.
*+*+*
"Kiri, go with Amiya," said Zack as they prepared to leave. Max had had another seizure, and Zack decided it was time to go. Kiri followed her brother quietly, and was shocked when Lyedecker shot Eva. Using all the strenght she had, she helped over power the guards and get out. Amiya at her side, Kiri ran through the snow, never stopping to think for a second.'
When shots rang out, Kiri kept running. When Amiya feel lifeless into the snow, Kiri kept running. It was what she had to do. The pictures of her friends flashed through her head. Peeps, lying dead on the ground, shot by Trigs. Jack, being dragged away because he couldn't stop shaking. Trigs, walking out of the Barracks, her head held high, promising under her breath to find Kiri. Eva, shot in the head.
It was Trigs that kept her going. It was her telling Kiri to keep running.
It was Trigs whose voice Kiri heard tell her to climb the tree and get over the fence.
It was Trigs who told her to not stop running until she came to a gas station, as which point she got into the back of a truck, and was driven to safty.
And Kiri felt that it was Trigs who told her to go to Venice Beach.
*+*+*
Venice Beach, 2011
Kiri walked along the boardwalk alone. She didn't want to go home. Zack was at home. Zack was there to make her leave. Lyedecker was on her tail, and that meant that she had to leave. Kiri didn't want to leave.
Zack had known Kiri wouldn't want to leave. He offered to take her to Brin, but Kiri didn't want Jondy. Kiri wanted Trigs, and Trigs was dead. Trigs had died in Manticore. Zack said that he saw her body. Kiri didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it. Her favourite sister was dead, dead and buried in the ground.
Kiri remembered the sound of Trigs voice, and the songs she used to sing. They were about never giving up, and moving on, and surviving. Trigs would not have gone with Zack. Trigs would have fought Lyedecker.
But Kiri wasn't Trigs, and she needed to go. She walked back to her home, and got on the bus with Zack to Los Angeles, where she would stay with Jondy until Zack found a proper place with her. As the two children sat on the bus, Kiri asked about the others.
"How are they Zack."
"Who?"
"The others."
"Kiri, you know I can't say."
"Who made it out Zack. Manticore knows that. They can ask me that, and I'll tell them, and it won't do tham any good. Who is still out there Zack."
"Jondy."
"I know that."
"Krit, Syl."
"Together?"
"As always."
"Ben?"
"Yep."
"Amiya?"
"You should know that."
"She did?"
"No Kiri. She died."
"Amiya?"
"Yeah. I thought you…"
"The only thing I remember about that night is that I could hear Trigs talking to me. She told me I had to go on."
"And you have."
"I try not to think about her. She and I were different."
"So what have you done with your life Kiri."
"So far, not much. I've worked as a gun runner. I hide guns."
"That's all?"
"And school. I've done a correspondants course. I finished high school."
"Any plans for a real job?"
"No clue."
"None?"
"No Zack."
"Well I'll get you something."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Did Max make it Zack?"
"I don't know. She got out, but how far, I don't know."
"Oh."
"She was smart. I'm sure she'll make it," he said.
"Good," she said, settling down in her seat. Zack looked over at her and put his arm around the small blond girl, letting her head rest on his shoulder.
"You comfortable?"
"Yeah."
"I'm glad I found you Kiri. I worried you had disappeared."
"Thanks."
"You're my baby sister, I had too."
"Zack?"
"Yeah."
"Tell me a story, like the others did. If you can't tell me where they are, tell me something about they told."
"Once upon a time, there were two families, and they hated each other."
"Stop Zack."
"Why?"
"Trigs told me that one."
"Sorry Kiri," he said, but Kiri was asleep.