< Back

Foreword: 2021-02-09

This story was found across a few documents in my archive, from January - April 2008.

One PDF copy was dated Jan 19, 2010 - but it only contained an early draft through Chapter 3, prior to some minor language changes.

January 28, 2008

Untitled Short Story

“Whoever said that first love is both sweet and bitter is dead wrong, it's only bitter...” ~Renton; Eureka Seven

Chapter 1

In the end, everything should have been made right, but it wasn't. All I had ever believed in was a lie. Had I gone on believing that lie, maybe it would have been better, maybe she wouldn't have ended up like this. At least that's what I keep telling myself, what I kept telling myself as I held her limp form in my arms and screamed until I was hoarse, and my throat hurt, and every other noise was drowned away, and then I screamed some more. I loved the girl I held, more than I would have thought possible a year ago, but what would I know of love. I'm young, only...only...how old am I? Why don't I know how old I am?

I want to tell you my name, but I can't because, because I don't know what it is. I don't know who I am, I don't know anything except that I love her, and she was dying in my arms. Who am I, who is she, and why do I love her? I just hope I can remember before I lose the deep affection I have for her, for Ashley... That's her name, Ashley! And my name is Naes! We're both nineteen, and I have known her for essentially my entire life, but I know I didn't acknowledge her, or feel the way I do about her now, not until about a year ago.

My how the tides of life can change the way someone like me sees the world, how people like me see those we care about. When we were only pre-teens, shooting each other with rubber-bands and arguing about homework answers, which of us was the smarter one, etc., those were more memorable due to the mere fact I never developed the “cootie syndrome,” and not once did I think that girls were a bad thing, nor that they were evil. I can assume she didn't think about guys that way, because she started flirting with me long before I realized what she was doing. It became the start of what, at the time, was going to be a life-long relationship. We loved each other deeply, before love was what we knew was the thing between us. It had, for that large chunk of our teen years, been just a mysterious attraction to one another. We had just wanted to spend our every waking hour together, and eventually we found that the great thing we felt was called love.

After studying your history, I suppose you would wonder at this point, 'Why didn't we realize that we were, so to speak, in love with each other?' Well, the year now is 3077. Twice in history has the great feeling of true love been degraded to senseless lust, where people merely have sex to have sex. No further reasons, just to have that degrading form of physical pleasure. It used to be a wonderful thing that only married partners shared, and most often to bear children, but no one wanted children that way anymore, not when you could go to “The Labs,” and have one made for you, and just the way you wanted him or her to look as well.

Intercourse was what it was called then, and most couples were twenty-five or thirty. Over the years, and in a fairly quick fashion, it became 'cool' to do it for the pleasure, outside of marriage. Then it wasn't only outside of marriage, it was for the younger too. The younger you 'got some,' the better. Twenty years old, then eighteen, when you became an adult. The rapid decline in age went so quickly that, within the next few years, the average age to become pregnant for a girl was thirteen years of age.

All hell broke loose toward the end of 2039. “The Labs” were created for the sole purpose of 'making life.' It cause mass riots, which were, needless to say, quieted by the government with amazing speed, and abortion numbers were far beyond going through-the-roof, abortion was practically a must so you could go get your very own hand-picked child from a test tube.

This fad went on for a few hundred years, but was ended in 2482 when the United States, the reformed USSR, the Canadian Alliance, and all other super-powers were thrown into a mass state of anarchy. The uprising was caused by a man that no-one knows anymore. Only bits and pieces of his theories remained in any form of readable or memorable material due to the ensuing violence, and almost constant state of war following his broadcast across the world. The land became more open, but battle scarred, and the population of earth dramatically decreased in the conflicts. All was back to where it was almost before time.

Factions began to make uneasy peace with each other, and began to rebuild on the earth, drawing out a very loose structure of government. The following history to date is mostly theory, though some parts are readily provable, the majority is just what can be heard from storytellers that passed down their knowledge. Within the next few generations, grudges were forgotten for some parties, and the rest continued in relative peace until sometime between 2700 and 2800. Somewhere in there, a couple of smaller super-powers emerged from the battered lands and tried to organize another federation-style earth, and eventually succeeded in 2873, when “The Labs” rose from the ashes, and attempted a re-population of earth in a semi-peaceful manner. It became fairly well accepted by the largest of the factions on earth, but the remainder opposed the process, and made regular attacks on facilities, drawing more and more attention to themselves, until it caught the eye of the major groups, and had war declared on themselves in a silent manner.

The war caused more attacks against civilians, primarily the “mimics,” as the test-tube humans were now being called, and soon “The Labs” were, once again, removed from existence. The slaughter continued, and the large states broke apart again into small, rivaling factions. This is the world I was born into, and the world Ashley had been made into...

Chapter 2

Ashley was a mimic. A child born from the minds of scientists and chemical processes. By all rights, she should have been killed when our state found her, but I refused to let them kill what I thought was another human. Actually, it wasn't the state who found her, it was just me. We had been gathering supplies from the wreckage of our latest city raid, and I was topping off our medical supplies when a girl ran out from behind a shower curtain. Like a frightened animal, she attempted to claw her way past me, and would have succeeded had I not hit her in the stomach with the butt of my rifle and threatened to gut her like a fish if she didn't calm down. She must have thought it was hilarious coming from a child that couldn't have been any older than herself, but I certainly meant it at the time, and she understood and complied with my wishes.

“Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here,” I asked her furiously, my rifle at ready, prepared to fire if she tried to escape from me again. She only closed her eyes and I saw the tears flow from her eyes as she sobbed. I stood there, becoming more sympathetic with each beat of my heart.

“No one,” came the whispered reply. “I am no one. I never have been, and never will be.” She wiped her eyes and looked up at me, silently pleading for her life.

I lowered my rifle slightly and sighed a clarification that I was no longer intent on killing her, hoping to relieve the tension I felt, “What's your name?” She remained silent for a few moments, then her mouth opened, but no words came out. I started to grow impatient and right before I lost the mercy that had grown she managed to speak, “Seven-one. My name is Seven-one.” Finally, we were getting somewhere.

I knew in my heart to continue through with my actions would betray my state. It would go against the rules I had been raised by, but I also knew that it was better to do than to kill her, she was innocent, and I knew it well. I let my rifle drop back to its position on my side and offered a hand to the girl as I began a conversation that would stick in my mind for the rest of my life. I smiled as I extended my hand out to her, “I'm Naes. Want to help me carry some of this stuff?”

She gasped, and stared fearfully at me, wary of a trick, wary of the possibility that I might back out on my kindness and kill her anyway. I urged my hand a bit closer to hers, “Come on. I can't do it on my own.” She pushed against the wall and stood up, avoiding contact with me. I turned around and commenced passing her a few of the small boxes I had filled with everything from syringes to iodine to band-aids. She took them resentfully as I grabbed the last stack of boxes, and grimaced when I tried to stack another on. “Oh fine,” I said taking it back off her stack, “follow me, and try to stay on my left. I don't want you to get shot and drop those boxes.” She merely nodded with gritted teeth and followed, as I told her to, on my left. It wasn't long before we finished filling the storage cabinets and I made her stay behind me as I led her to my room, the only place I could think she'd be safe at for any length of time. I silently held the door and pointed to the bed while I whispered a command, “Sit.”

I felt bad treating her like an animal, but that was my first impression of her, so the pity didn't last long. I shut the door and, after making sure none of the other crew members were around, locked it and went to sit across from Ashley on my make-shift nightstand. “What do you think you were doing sticking around during a raid,” I asked as calmly as possible. “You could have ended up like the rest of the mimics.” She winced as I said the word. It was just as bad calling them a mimic as it was to plunge them through with a knife. Noticing her emotional pain, I avoided using it again. “Where would you have run if I hadn't stopped you?”

Her face was one of shock and fear. She trembled as she spoke. “I don't know where I would have gone. Probably to another human. They would have killed me then and eased my pain. You're waiting, but you'll do it... won't you? You'll use me then kill me.” Her response was considerably more than surprising. I had taken her here to prevent her death, not to accelerate it.

“You misunderstand my intentions Ashley. I am going to keep you here so you'll be safe. I don't think we should be killing mim... people like you, just because you weren't born naturally. Leader doesn't agree, but I've never really listened to him anyway. I think you're just as human as I am.” Her mood lightened a little as she soaked my every word. “Are you lying to me Naes,” she asked bluntly. My only reply was a shake of my head.

“Okay then, stay here while we finish preparing the ship. I won't be back until we've launched. Got it? There's food in my headboard if you're hungry,” I said, shutting the door behind me without her acknowledgment. Quickly scanning the corridors for the remainder of the crew, I made my way to the front, eager to see how long we were from being ready to take off. I called out to the piloting area, and the growled response was, “When I darn well feel like it!” It was probably Gashfell, but it could have been Leader too. I began picking my way back to my quarters and to Ashley when the hallway in front of me burst into flame and shrapnel as the hull was hit by round after round of explosive shells.

Chapter 3

Sirens were blaring and flashing, illuminating the passages with a dull red glow and a wailing that definitely served its purpose. I hopped right to avoid the newest piece of protruding metal as I picked up my pace. Gashfell would be taking off as soon as the engines hit enough charge and I had to be back in my quarters before we did that, or be forced into a strange, and life threatening position in the lounge room. I didn't plan on letting that happen, so my speed became my final lifeline.

Ducking and dodging gunfire, explosions and various pieces of loose equipment, I finally smashed into my small closet I called a room. Ashley wasn't in sight as I glanced around, but the coat she was wearing was lying on my bed. “Why can't she just do what she's told,” I screamed at myself. As I turned to go look for her, the ship jolted forward, propelled by the boosters that would get us in the air. Too late I realized that there was no way I'd ever go wandering during a takeoff, at least, never on a normal occasion, but if I didn't find Ashley, she'd likely be shot before she could speak a word in defense.

I made my way to the cargo bays, the most likely place she could have gone looking for, I would presume, an exit. When I arrived, there was nothing but the usual void after a raid. I turned to go check the remainder of the ship, but as I opened the door, I heard metal hit the floor, as if someone not wanting to be found had dropped something or knocked something over. I opened and shut the door, trying to make it sound as if I had left, but remained a still form, crouched just inside the door, and kept myself hidden in the shadows.

I was not surprised to see Ashley suddenly appear from behind one of the bay doors, looking rather annoyed that she was nearly caught. I remained silent, watching her slow progression as she checked her safety. Seemingly satisfied, she began a very brave approach to the door I just shut, unaware that I was present. As she arrived, she must have seen me. She spun around to confront me again, the same crazed look that I had seen on her face the first time I found her.=====

A well maneuvered grapple, and she was unable to fight back. “Listen to me and for the love of peace, calm down. If anyone but me sees you right now, you'll be killed. Trust me when I say that the rest of the crew is not nearly as kind as I am.”

“What makes you think that I care,” she snapped back. “Because you know as well as I do that you don't want to die,” I whispered. She relieved some of her tension, and relaxed a little more as she began to cry silently. “Why do you care,” she asked softly through her tears. I was caught off guard by the question, and had no real good explanation as to why, but I tried to answer with as much honesty as possible. “Because... because I don't believe what we do is right. I don't think that you are any less human than me, or Leader, or any of the rest of our crew.” “But why,” she cried. I had to tell her the absolute truth, “I don't really know.”

Chapter 4

Cautiously moving through the hallways was a slow, but needed effort. If anyone caught sight of the new passenger, I was as likely to be killed as she was. Around one corner, we were nearly caught by an engineer that was apparently hurrying to the cockpit, but that was the worst of the trip.

Locking the door behind us, I racked my brain for what it was I was trying to accomplish. I had no reason to care whether or not this girl lived. What did it matter if she lived or died? In that case, why did any of it matter? What made me care that what we did was wrong?

“What are you doing?” came the girl's curious voice. I looked down to my hands, still resting on the padlock. I must have looked like an idiot just standing silently at the door.

“Sorry. I was thinking about something.”

“About what?”

“Nothing.”

She looked at me, knowing I was lying. I guess doing it outright didn't hide much. We stood there in silence looking at each other for awhile, but it was broken when she looked down and spoke. “So what happens now? You can't hide me here forever you know.” She was right. I knew that all too well.

“I suppose I could sneak you out at the next city we stop at.”

“You think I would be any safer there? Anywhere this ship stops would be just as dangerous if not more so than staying here. I'd be better off running during the next raid!”

She began to tear up as she spoke. She quickly wiped her eyes and turned to face the wall. To turn her back to me for no particular reason other than being alone. Another raid means she'd be heading right back into the death and destruction I'd saved her from, or at least, what I thought I'd saved her from. What on earth did I think I was doing taking her with us? I backed up against the door and slid down it with a sigh.

“Sorry,” I whispered to the air at my feet. It was all I could think to say, and she seemed to hear it and understand. She lay down still facing the wall and it wasn't long before she fell asleep. I got up and covered her with a light blanket, then sat next her silently breathing form.

This was the first time I took a good look at the girl I took in. She was average height, five foot four or so. Her skin was a bit whiter than most, and her hair was light brown and flowed nicely past her shoulders a few inches. She was still wearing some generic hospital clothes, which I would need to replace soon. If we went anywhere, she would need to appear at least fairly normal. I closed my eyes and thought about what would happen. She as right, there was no way we could stay on the Aeuriss much longer. There was that and the fact that I hardly knew anyone aboard anyway. I guess partly because they were all a lot older than I was. I opened my eyes and looked at the girl again. Seven-One is what she called herself. I still couldn't bring myself to call her that....Ashley. That'll be her name.

Chapter 5

I woke up on the edge of my bed and abruptly fell off after feeling something behind me. I shook my head and slowly peered up over the edge to see what was there. Oh that's right. I rescued that girl from the raid. I guess not sleeping had its toll on my memory. Laughing silently at myself, I poked my head out the door to make sure no one was around, then locked my door and made my way to the shower room.

It didn't take long to clean up so I snuck to the kitchen and got a light breakfast. Not really food as much as it was just rations of slop made of proteins and nutrients required to keep going. Ah well, it would have to do.

I went back to my room and checked around for anyone who may have shown up while I was gone, but there was no one. Ashley, as was her new name, was still sleeping peacefully. Surprising after what she went through in the last couple of days. I sat back down and ate my rations. It seemed the only thing to do was run. I would take some supplies and a couple of parachutes, and the two of us would jump ship near the next city we passed. I sighed. This had to be the stupidest thing I've thought about doing, but what choice did we have?

I ran my fingertips gently across her cheek, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. I hope she'll trust me enough to go along with it. She already tried to run away once, but now she didn't have anywhere else to go. I opened my closet and pulled out some clothes I thought would fit her, then I lounged around my room sifting through some of the magazines and other junk I accumulated over time. Eventually I gave up waiting, if we were going to do anything, now was the time.

I gently shook her shoulder and spoke softly, “Hey. Time to get up.” She stirred a little then sat up and stretched, like a human. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought she was just another girl.

“How did you sleep?”

“Mmmmm...fine,” she said, yawning.

“I did a lot of thinking while you slept, and the only thing we can do is run. I'm sorry Ashley, but it's the only way we'll both get out of here.”

She looked at me with an awkward look, “You....You just called me Ashley.”

I laughed. “Oh, yeah.” I ran my hand through my hair. “Well, I don't feel right calling you seven-one, so I decided I'd name you Ashley. I... well...” I looked down, a little embarrassed that I had 'named' her.

She smiled for the first time that I had seen. “I like it. I mean, having a name.”

“Really?” I was kind of shocked that she smiled, regardless of what she said at that moment.

“Yeah.”

I returned the smile and inadvertently blushed a bit. “Well, we should get moving.” I picked up the clothes I had pulled out and handed them to Ashley. “Here. Put these on.” I turned away as she changed and continued to tell her the plan I created. “I'm going to get a couple of parachutes and some supplies and we're going to jump near the next city. That's the only way I can think of to get us both out of here alive.”

“Well, I suppose if we don't have a choice...”

I sighed again, “Yeah.”

“Okay, all done,” she said finishing her dressing job. The clothes I picked were just a little small for me but fit perfectly on Ashley. A pair of jeans and a small black t-shirt, not much but better than patient's grubs. I smiled again, feeling a lot more comfortable about what I was doing. I peered out my door for probably the last time. After this, I had no idea where we would go or what we would do, but at least Ashley would be relatively safe. We quickly rushed to the empty hanger that we had been in earlier, and grabbed what we could. I made sure Ashley's parachute was secure and showed her how to use it, then opened the small jump door. “Ready?” I screamed over the wind. She nodded and I stood in the exit, the air whipping past. I hesitated long enough ....to clear any doubt of my actions, then jumped.