The Misbegotten
Pain, Past and Present - Earth Summer 2385

Estefan sat there. He stared at nothing, masochistically reliving the agony and sorrow hehad felt that night, so many years ago.

Though the years seemed countless, he still rememberedLucia’s cherubic face, her elven giggle. The way her whole face lit up at the sight of him, she always had a hugesmile and dazzling eyes for him. Withoutfail her reaction was the same. Whetherit was a while or a short couple of hours since he’d last seen her, it did notmatter. She made him happy regardless ofhis day.

Martín’s was there too, crystalline, in hismemory. The Keeper could see his bigbrown eyes, his broad face and his course, straight hair that couldn’t keep astyle. His baby brother, with hisinability to be anything other than ornery, had loved practical jokes andplaying tricks. Though he wouldsometimes forget to think about him for years on end, his recollections of himnever faded. They were as vivid as theyday he’d seen them.

His mother and his step-father were different in hismind’s eye. Rather than preserved intime, frozen notions of the past, they were a conglomeration of thought,feelings and actions. He had amalgamatedtheir existence into a series of musings. He played them in his head like a movie, like snippets in time allspliced together.

He could see himself at the beach when his family consistedof only him and Johan, and their mother. They were running on small feet, through the sand as little boys. This was clear, but his mother’s age keptchanging. Her face was young, thenolder, like when she’d already given birth to Martín and Lucia. Nest. She’d seem even younger when she seemedso big, so warm. He remembered thinkingshe was the most beautiful creature on the planet.

He could see his step-father in the front seat of thefamily car, calling for his mother to get back inside. She had screamed at the man to stop thevehicle a minute before. He hadslowed. She had jumped out, angry,bristling with frustration. She waswalking fast, ignoring his step-father’s pleas. He, Johan and Flavia sat in the backseat, unaware they were holdinghands, not knowing why they were scared. He recalled he had prayed, hoping at the time his mother and hisstep-father weren’t going to break-up. They hadn’t.

He had never seen what they had done to any of theirbodies after he and the founding members of the Aegis Synod had fled into thenight. All four of them the NIA had shotto death in cold blood, murdered. Hisbaby brother and sister slaughtered like animals.

All he could recall was the rage - his rage, Katie’srage and the all-consuming need for revenge.

Katie had brought the light of the stars down on theirenemies and had set his house ablaze.

He had killed for the first time.

Leda had killed.

They had destroyed his entire neighborhood in theprocess.

It was years before they dared set foot on thefamiliar ground where he’d lived as a child. He had lost his virginity in that house.

When he’d seen what they’d done to it, he had weptbitter tears. His family, his friends –they weren’t terrorists. There was noneed to make it a monument to justice, a warning to other Mutos. It was an unforgiveable act.

Later, when Angel Free Town was his, he had theplacards and gaudy “remembrance-stones” removed. He had made all Highland Park a recreationalpark that families could enjoy. He hadeven named it after his step-father, the man who’d brought so much happiness tohis mother. The man he hadn’t the timeto tell he loved. Everything had gone sofast.

The park was only land on the first level of themegalith that wasn’t devoted to feeding the masses. It was set aside, forever sacred, because theblood of the Keeper of the Peace had flowed there. Many might not remember why Enrique ErnandoRegional Park was there and, later, preserved for all time.

It didn’t matter. He knew. Johan knew. Flavia knew. That’s what was important.

I miss youmama. And, you too, Pop.

Before his writing consul, his Neuro-Nanoswarm was chimingevery odd second for instruction. Hebent his head to the surface and wept again.

It had been a long time since he had mourned the lossof his family. It had been centuriessince he had dared to dredge up those terrible memories. He had forgotten what it had felt like tolose something he’d loved so much, something so fundamental to the foundationthat made him. He ached to hold them,one last time, on his terms. He wishedhe could hold his mother’s delicate hand and see the paper-thin skin on theback of it. He longed to crush hisstep-father in an embrace, hold him as tight as he could. Of all things, it was their idiotic half-hug,half-wrestling squeeze he wanted the most.

The tears came hard and his sobs strong, from themiddle of himself.

Lucia. Martín.

He would give his entire fortune to bring themback. If it were possible, he’d give itall away to smell the baby scent on the top of her head, to see his beautifulsmile.

He would pay trillions to not see their heads explode.

Now, it was happening again. Once more, someone – or something - had takena member of his family. Once more, anoutsider thought it fine to hurt what he loved, what he cherished. What the fuck was wrong with things? Why couldn’t they just leave him alone? It was all he had ever wanted.

He stood, enraged, the marble at his feet creakingwith the sudden shift of his considerable weight.

Three weeks ago, the commanding officer of whatremained of Jacob’s fleet had told them of the ambush they’d flown into. He spoke of the thousands of drones that hadattacked them from every quarter. Hetold them of the brutal, relentless assault that followed. His eyes brimmed with tears, his shouldershunched with shame. He had gaze up atthe Keeper of the Peace and begged for forgiveness.

Estefan had reached for him, laid a comforting handupon one of those drooping shoulders. Hetold him, it wasn’t his fault. He wasn’tthe one to blame.

The officer had shuddered under his touch. He let the Keeper finished reassuring himbefore he said: “That is not the whole of it, m’Lord. There was something more, somethingterrifying.”

When Estefan had asked, the man replied, “Somethingcame aboard the Command Ship. It was horriblymisshapen and rank. It was over ninefeet tall and wielded a Mutation unlike any I have ever seen.” He had whimpered, like a child. A grown man with decade’s worth of militaryand paramilitary training cowered like a babe.

The shock made Estefan wary in an instant.

“He tore people apart without even touching them. He just looked at them and they ripped toshreds. And… and... and they kepttearing even after he had walked passed them. There was nothing left but thin strips of flesh and bone, and so muchblood, everywhere.

“He would’ve slain us all if it hadn’t been for LordJacob. He stood before the creature andshouted for it to stop. The creaturegazed hard at him. I thought Lord Jacobwas going to tear apart like the others, but he wasn’t. He became indistinct, almost like he wasn’tthere – like… like some scary apparition. He was sweating profusely, trembling too, as if he were under incrediblestrain.

“The beast roared at him. It seemed frustrated, but I couldn’t tell youfor sure. But that’s beside the point,because Lord Jacob began to speak. Hisvoice wasn’t his own. It was resonant-. No, that’s wrong. It was richlike the loam of good earth, like the fresh smell of the air after a solidrain. He was so compelling even the creatureheld fast, considering him. The strainon my lord appeared to ease.

“The creature’s eyes became slits, its’ mouth drawn ina straight line. It half-turned fromus. It was obvious to me; it didn’t wantto look at Lord Jacob any longer. It wastrying to break free of his gaze.

“My Lord took a step forward, his foot sinking intothe deck of the ship a few inches before he found purchase and steppedagain. The beast retreated, its’ eyeswidening, barking commands in its’ strange ghastly tongue. It sounded more like a bear growling than anactual language.

“From all parts of the ship, the drones came for LordJacob. They were not affected by hisspeech, his Mutation worthless. Theypummeled him to the ground, smashing into him with their insect-likebodies. At last, he faltered, hisghost-like characteristic failing him. As he became more substantial, their blows did more damage until theybludgeoned him to the floor. He moved tono more.

“The beast came forth then barking and snarling, andthe drones took my lord away. I did notsee him again.

“How the creature left the ship, I cannot say. We didn’t have the time to ponder thequestion. The larger drones attackedonce more, en masse, and they forced us to abandon the Command Ship. We saw it explode as we jettisoned away. We watched as the tremendous weapons of thisnewfound enemy ripped through the Diatainium alloy hull like it was paper.

“We saw what remained of the fleet Grav-jump tosafety. For some reason, the enemydrones didn’t follow. They zipped awaytoward the inner Solar System instead, so fast we could not understand what wewere watching. We floated in space, inour lifeboats, for two days before the remnants of the fleet came back andbegan to round us up.” He continued tocry when he had finished.

Estefan ordered him taken to sick bay formonitoring. He was so distraught; theKeeper feared he might do something to himself.

When medical officers carted him off, Estefan's wiveshad surrounded him. Before they asked asingle question, he spoke: “We go to Luna Prime.”

That had been three weeks ago.

He gazed out the observation window at the vastexpanse of lunar fortress. He wiped hisface and ran a hand over his smooth scalp, carrying away the perspiration coatingit.

Why can’tthey just leave us alone? It was a miserable thought. It should’ve never entered his mind. He should’ve never expressed it. He was the Keeper after all. He was the Overlord of the Aegis Synod, goddammit!

The override alarm sounded at the entrance to hisprivate chambers.

Flavia strode in through a throng of Aegis Marines shehad left sprawling in her wake. “Estefan,what’s wrong!?” she demanded, her chest heaving as if she’d run the entire way.

He peered over at her weary, eyelids shot-through withlead.

She realized he’d been crying and froze in her tracksso quick; she stood on her toes. Thepads of her feet skidded a few inches across the marble flooring. She wore the same black colored, bio-spandexjumpsuit, covering her lithe form from neck to ankle to wrist. All his wives were wearing the same outfitnow, anticipating his next announcement.

If he said what they were anticipating he’s say, thenthey’d be ready.

“I finished,” he said rank with misery.

Flavia recovered and came to him as agile as a cat.

The marines at the portal of his bed chamber, seeingall was well, left, closing the stout doors behind them.

She hugged him, then broke free to read the last pagesof what he’d written. She stoodmotionless. Her eyes tracked eachline. The Neuro-Nanoswarm’s followed themovement of her pupils and scrolled the pages for her. She didn’t have to move.

Ramona and Mena came into the room, dressed likeFlavia.

Leda was quick upon their heels.

Flavia continued to read, tears beginning to form atthe corners of her eyes.

Tirza strode in next.

Her first tear fell to the floor. Flavia’s eyes flew across the pages of Estefan’sdiary.

Katie walked in, then Ruby.

Flavia’s hand came to her mouth. She gasped with shock. “Oh god, I had forgotten,” she murmured toherself.

Sandy was the last, her ‘Swarm active, a cloud ofintelligent processing units floating about her head. “The Fleet waits -,” she began. She stopped when she realized the whole of theSynod was present. Like they were gnats,she waved away her Nano-comp.

Flavia turned from Estefan’s autobiography, her facestreaming with tears. “It still hurts,”she muttered through a mouth overflowing with saliva. Her words seemed distorted, slurred like adrunkard’s.

He walked into her arms and together they wept for themurdered.

A short while later, Katie nodded to herself, she walkedtoward them, embracing the two. Sherested her head on Estefan’s shoulder.

Tirza came forth and did the same. Her actions were like a spark that awoke therest of them. Soon, they were one greathuddle of hugging bodies. They swayed tothe right, and then left, right, and then left - again and again.

From somewhere in the outer ring of the human mass,Sandy asked, “The Fleet has assembled, Effy. They are awaiting your orders. What are we going to do?”

Three hundred sixty-four years prior, Katie had askedhim something quite similar. It had beenthree years after they had fled from Estefan’s childhood home, his neighborhoodin flames, his parents and young siblings slain before his eyes. They had been deep underground at the time,all their plans and schemes had worked. They’d become wealthy beyond imagination. So rich, in fact, they had procured enoughfirepower to finally take on the multi-national military forces of the NIA.

His cousin had asked, “What were they going to do?”

He replied with the same words as he would many yearslater on the surface of the Moon.

“We will go to war.”

Back then, it had signaled the beginning of the MutantWar for Los Angeles.

Now, it was something entirely different. They were going to make war upon theDestro-Mancer. Whoever, or whatever, he was,they were coming for him. Estefan hadgathered a force capable of destroying planets. He was not playing games anymore. He was no longer afraid of his past. He could no longer abide anyone fucking with his family. If they died, they would do so fighting.

After all, he had never shied away from enforcing thepeace. Thanks to a murderous few, it wasin his blood.

THE END