Bethany

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THE PRISON LOOMED OVER the landscape like a morbid hotel. Rust peeled off the metal bars on the outside, but birds flew in and out of the top areas. A background hiss and buzz of generators played along Bethany’s spine as she got closer. In the radio waves above the island, Bethany stared in fascination at the automans. They were Tech-run, but like Vera suggested, the Tech’s body was long gone. Vera and she were deciding if they should try to communicate with them when a radio message from the ship piped into the prison.

“We caught a Shifter trying to spy on us. We’ve got him under control. Another one got away. We’re going to send a team to Port Reno to find her.”

“Bethany,” Vera warned, but Bethany shot to the boat.

The engine was old and clunky. She revved it like her motorcycle, which was a bad idea because it made the boat spin in a circle before she got it straightened out. There was no way they were bringing Lucas back to that island. Bethany finally got the boat headed in the right direction, narrowly missing Lewis and Clark’s boat. Didn’t avoid all the junk floating in the water, but it was all right. This was a rescue mission, by golly. Bethany was starting to feel in control of the situation when she heard Vera’s call for help.

The tugboat plowed into the dock. Whoops. Jumping out of the engines, she flew back to the island. Vera was in command of one of the automans, but the other four were ganging up on her.

“Leave her alone,” Bethany said, reaching down and pulling the Tech out of one of them. His ghostly essence sparked and chains of energy dropped off of him.

"Thank you," he said.

The automan dropped to the ground, and the ghost—if that was what he was, sped off into the atmosphere, out to where the satellites still prowled in orbit Vera blasted another one with her arm cannons, while Bethany tore another Tech from another automan.

“Fly, be free,” Bethany said, as the essence of the Tech—female this time, bowed to her before shooting into the clouds. Maybe that was where Techs went instead of heaven.

The remaining automan tried to run, but Bethany was much faster and set the driver free as well before settling into the driver’s seat. It was much smoother than the tugboat, more powerful than her motorcycle, but it handled like the truck. Inside the automan, she walked around the island, using its cannons to demolish the rusted metal gates.

Men poured out of the doors, pointing boxes with antennas at her. Accessing the computer on her automan, she found they were called control boxes and used a radio frequency to control her movements.

She let them try, and then she reached over and picked them up in her large metal pincers.

“It’s a Tech!” they shouted.

Bethany tossed a few into the ocean while Vera stomped them like ants. The men tried to get in and close the door, but Bethany threw herself in the way. After jumping out of the downed automan, she dove into the building’s controls, turning the generator on high. She held out her hand and forced the door’s electronic lock to open and stay open. She had the generator as a security blanket, but the channeling still hurt.

A whirl of energy pulsed through her, filling her with godlike power. She turned on every light in the prison, pouring music from Les Misérables through the loudspeakers and PA systems.

“Do you hear the people sing, motherfuckers?”

“Bethany,” Vera said.

But Vera’s voice was so small, and Bethany was so big. Bethany turned off the computers and sent power to overload the system, scrambling the information.

“Never again,” she shouted.

“Bethany.”

The scientists panicked and ran for the elevators, but Bethany shut them down. She opened the cell doors one by one and saw mutilated Shifters come out. She tried to access the cameras to find her brother.

“Bethany.”

“Daniel.” She punched through the audio. “It’s Bethany. I’m here. Lucas’s tribe. We’re here to rescue you.”

“Bethany.”

“What is it?”

“You’re dying.”

“No, I’m not.” Bethany laughed. “I’ve never felt better.” And she meant it. She literally never felt better.

“Go back to your body or join me forever.”

“I can’t go back. I can’t leave them.”

Carnage filled the hallways as the Shifters mauled the scientists that had tortured them.

“If you don’t go now, you won’t be able to leave.”

“Nonsense,” Bethany said dismissively. There were some cages open, but no one was coming out. Accessing the camera, she saw the Shifters were chained. Old-fashioned shackles. “We need to get Lucas and Lisa back here.”

Bethany tried to jump into the radio waves, but she couldn't reach them.  It was as if the building was quicksand, and the more she struggled, the more she sank.  She reached out for a device, but the automans were nonoperational. She was stuck in the building.

“Vera, you have to help me,” Bethany pleaded.

“It’s too late. You’ll need another Tech to free you.”

“Tell them to bring my body here.”

“I already have,” she said sadly. “They’re on their way. But it’s too late.”

“It can’t be too late.”

But it was. Bethany could feel it.

“It’s not fair,” Vera said and joined her in the control room of the prison. “You were supposed to come with me. Not get trapped here like one of those automans.”

“I don’t want to become that,” Bethany whispered and quieted an alarm that signaled two boats were heading in. “Lucas,” she cried.

“Forget about that meat bag,” Vera snarled. “I’m trying to tell you I love you.”

“What?” Bethany felt her energies merge with Vera.

“You’re a stupid meat bag too,” Vera said. “But you’re a lucky one.”

“What are you doing?”

“We’re getting out of here. Now pull.”

Vera grabbed her by the arms and yanked her out of the control room. She kept pulling as the security systems and generator clung to Bethany’s legs and tried to suck her back in.

“Fight, damn you,” Vera said. “Fight to get back to your Shifter. He has your body in his arms. He’s crying.”

“Lucas,” she shouted. “I’m here.”

“Come on, move it.”

Inch by inch, Vera pried her away from the prison. It was a prison in more than just the physical sense. It was sentient and as alive as she was. It watched her and Vera escape, powerless to stop them. But if it could.... Bethany shuddered. If surviving the apocalypse hadn’t drained it, they would never have been able to leave.

She saw them on the beach: Lewis and Clark directing the survivors who climbed over the automans and the bodies of the dead scientists to get out, Jesse and Lem offering food, and Karen offering blankets. Then she saw Lisa and Lucas. In Lucas’s arms was her body.

“Go.” Vera shoved her.

As Bethany fell, Vera ascended into the atmosphere.

“No,” she cried, reaching to save her as Vera had saved her. But there was not enough energy for her to do so.

“When you’ve used up your meat bag, I’ll be here, and then you will be mine.”

Bethany slammed back into her body, convulsing as pain and nausea battled it out for first place. Screaming, she blacked out.