Bronwean was one of six viable zygotes from test batch dyprg 254. All six zygotes were taken to full term. The test parameters were simple raise six dryad children in parallel and monitor growth and development.
“there were 6 of us Rhiannan, Sian, Clienwean, Megan, Eofie and me. sisters. we lived in a place in the woods, it was underground but we all had windows, there was a pond and shed with a tent awning where we had class, even in the winter. we didn’t have the sims there, all those trodes ain’t that waterproof ya know. I now know it was Richmond in the free Cal.
We never seemed the have the same carers for very long, but they were always happy and caring. to brutally honest we got away with murder in that place. we swam we ran it was lovely we even got to go in to town but only in twos. we missed each other soooo much on those trips, even if they where super super fun, I remember going to see the sea for the first time; Clienwean and I stood on the beach and held hands like forever.
The tests were so cool. every month they would come and test us, you know take bloods and things, tread mills and stuff, then we would do the field tests shooting and running a such. We would finish So tired they tried giving us sweets but they made us puke we got apples and crazy fruit from around the world. I didn’t speak to Sian for a week when she got an ugly fruit
The crash changed everything. one night we moved, it was all very secret. Our new home was a rush job. so I could see all the sensors and cameras. The whole thing was self-contained so not matrix. they continued with low key test and examinations and scans and you know; lab rat. All the staff started to look very serious. We weren’t allowed in to town. I hated that but they were strict on that. Megan and I tried that. We got hammered for it so; angry with us
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One night I got what I wished for, you should be careful with those wishes you know. we were in class Clienwean and Eofie were in the SIM. Moggy puss suddenly spat and hissed ran away and then there was a bang and gunfire. I could see Clienwean, the horror and the pain in her eyes as she melted turned to dust, I couldn’t close my eyes, couldn’t move. all the blood from her eyes. can we stop now? I need a drink or something.
The lights went out. Mickey, the security guy, burst in told me time to go, quick and then wrapped me in his massive jacket, I grabbed my school bag, still, don’t know why I did that. The doctor was outside. He had this bundle told me to take it and go with Mickey. That’s when I saw he had a gun. He told mickey he’d do what he could but we had to hurry. then I saw it a wasp, an mechanical wasp, it landed on the doctor and, and he just burnt up, there and then just turned to dust. sorry can we go outside for a bit? I need a break. No it doesn’t upset me, I makes me really really angry! those two men and everyone else died for nothing but me, I didn’t ask to be born I didn’t ask to be special and certainly did want to be worth dying for, its not fracking fair and I will not fracking well calm down.
Sorry, and sorry about your table. I… I think we both know they might have known something was coming; the bundle was a blanket some food four burner phones and some cert creds, you know like a survival kit. There were strange people there, with white masks with red paint on them. We managed to evade them. Mickey took me to a sewer told me to get down it . He said he was going back for the others but I don’t believe that is what he did.
The sewer came out in the woods I followed a stream down to a river and then headed down stream. I only had a little food so I headed towards lights, when I got to the town it was big dirty as smelly I t felt so wrong and horrid but there is safety in numbers. I found a tap and washed the worst of my jacket. Then I made my first mistake I want to get some of those paper clothes from a machine. That put my image on a data base to be found.
I laid low that night, I would try to slip out of town in the morning rush so I hid in an ally but the streets go busy with guys with torches. I stayed the course and in the morning had to move. I had to pee so I went to find a rest room. They spotted me within minutes, I was lifted and thrown in to the back of this huge car. the back was so quite no waves. I tried kicking the windows, tried the handles , banging on the glass. Then I waited
They got sick of me banging on the window. I figure they were going to drug me or beat me quiet. Didn’t give them, the chance, heal punched him and then spin kicked him. I ran, pure luck I chinned him, clean knocked out, I just kept running. I still had my bag as they had just scoped me up, so just kept on trucking.
Things got hazy for me, I just kept going for a few hours, I wanted to stop but I knew I had to put distance between them an me. the Stuff the Doctor had given me had one of the foil blankets . so when I couldn’t avoid the sleep, I found a drain or something and waited. I fell asleep a couple of times so I don’t know how long it was but when I ate the last food bar thing I knew I had to find civilisation. by then I think the search had either been called off or had passed well in front of me, who says naps aren’t useful eh?
I just walked in to town, went to the shop. one of those mom and pop shops, you know got a franchise with some chain but not chain. It was late and the old man was reading his paper behind the counter. At his second look his eyes narrowed and I checked the exits. when he didn’t move and when back to his paper I looked for some food, I bought sweets and chocolate, can you believe it. He looked at me, back pack, blanket and my filthy jacket. I quietly offered up my money he took it a handed back the change. As I left he said “its late, there’s a broom in the store room at the back, sweep the floor and you can sleep on it tonight after we’re shut”
I was nervous but he ignored me while he shut up the shop. I did as I was asked and cleaned the room the power went off, I guess he flicked the switch. I curled up in my jacket and blanket. everything caught up with me in a great wave of pain and I cried myself to sleep. the morning came with a gentle voice.
“young lady you better get up and get going, don’t want folks seeing. I guessing your caught up in all these mountain types running around here.”
He gave me a breakfast sandwich and a coffee. He passed me another sandwich and a piece of paper. I asked him why and he said “don’t hold with those pushy types, they’re not doing a right right and this is the right thing to do. Remember young lady spread some bread upon the water and it will come back to you. now eat up and go before folk see you and ask questions. god bless”
I left and I carried that advice always
The map took me to the next valley and there was a road so I hitched/walked down that till I got The Millers crossing. I hustled an job at a store; you know shelves till and tidy, cash in hand. Then one day I was walking to work and I saw them four guys not wearing jeans and a work shirt, they didn’t quite fit. two went into the store. I risked the bus station didn’t see any one so grabbed my bag from the notell I was staying in and left. That took me to One Tree Hill. Nice, got a job in the diner, bus boy in back. again bout two month in one of the guys at the skate park told me some guy was asking about a girl matched me. Hitch a ride with a mon going to the next town and caught the bus to Alice.
This pattern repeated over and over. Four months and it was getting harsh. I was running out of money and I was going to run out of luck. I had received an brutal and unrelenting education in 120 days. For every nice shop keeper there was a dirty old man in a hotel office. A cleaner who would rob you blind or worse gang who had decided you were theirs for the taking. I had either seen it or dodged it, the desperate pleading from that poor girl in the back of that truck still echos with me today. You do not want to be a sexpest round me now I know what I can do. back then it was just a case of avoidance.
That night in the truck yard I realised just how dumb and lucky I had been over the weeks. my luck held again when the police turned up. The old lady from the kitchen bellowed at me to get back to work. Then sat me down to give me a talking to. She scared the life out of me on so many levels, so hard and inured to the world but when it came down to it she helped me, fed me and got me a ride with a nice lady. I’m not going to be like her but yet I will, I am I step in when its needed. I have to, so many people have for me.
after that i spent two whole weeks free time watching and practising self-defence. I am not ending up in that truck. have to keep going have to find them I have to find them. Its just I can I get so angry it just.
I freaked out first I had to. Move and fast. I had enough to get to the coast maybe get a boat. But also could I really do all that? then the realisation of the suffering and hurt that was being caused stopped me and i got really angry Mickey had kids and the doctor a new wife, I get so mad, those frackers just did it killed without blinking
Sorry about that is just all i have know has been tainted with that brainless hate, everything i do even the happy bit it there in the back ground. even if i like a kid, i cant be with him or tell him and how do have a relationship with secrets like that. its not like i’m lying about graduating or that i don’t really like your band is it. sorry i’m going for a water break and calm down sorry. interview terminated an who give a frack.
the investeegaytooooor. that was just a thing at first, two months? no three after the TV show and i was working back room in a bar, you know burgers fries chicken wings and helping cash up, the guy who ran it was always half cut by the end of the night, he said I saved his business. I put fries and salad on his menu so I could lift a few meals but you know how it is, never trust a skinny chef right? used to bully the guys in to eating it, got them to send pic to their wives showing they were, you know, looking after themselves. anyway I’m staying in this lodging house, got good rates for helping in the kitchen at weekends changing beds laundry and extras for ironing shirts. good gig. Anyway the old stick who ran the place had a boyfriend, worshiper, they had dinner together every Saturday, he messaged her goodnight every night at locking up time. So one day he doesn’t message. Next day he calls full of apologies, work, busy, didn’t see the time. She doesn’t take it hard a agate. She relents by the weekend, they have meal but its ice. Next Wednesday he message early. Now she’s in tears asking the 15year drifter what to do. Erm I dunno. It nothing maybe work really are putting the pressure on. Next Saturday I hack his Phone no hard the password was waaay predictable. All I get it a ticket to the city four so far same time same station. So I beg a day off get to the city before him simple.
not! The city on the train and i loose him straight off in the cloud high tail it back to the train. Got told off she went mental at me. Anything could have happened… Blah blah. I took it and kept my mouth shut. She obviously jumped to conclusions on in complete data sets so I left it. And snuck of next week and the week after each time intercepting his rout to wherever it was. Wherever turned out to be the community college and get this BALLROOM DANCE101, ha bland Mr Accountant had a soul of gold ha. So funny. Any way Saturday comes and she gets him to give me a proper telling off. He fessed there and then, he had been taking a exam to get a promotion and while he was there he saw the workshop advertised. She had turned him down years ago because he could not dance, well now he could and he was not taking no for an answer. I left about then left them arguing last thing I heard was her screeching “yes” at him.
Got a skate board and a serious wedge of cash for that one. They presumed i would stay but l couldn’t. The city with all that noise was so intoxicating I had to go. Told my online forum friends and got a flood of advice, but most of it required a sin, so basically not happening. But I moved anyway I travel light anyway so notells and coffins; with bar and kitchen jobs. Help out here and there; and of course I get a rep for sorting thing"
Little by little, guys not turning up more than a few “I think my mum/dad are cheating” I started to avoid those. They can lead to lawyers and they cause problems. Missing persons are bad to. Seen more than a few dead beatleheads in dumpsters. It surprising how many people get worried when their favourite Bum disappear. Kinda funny that you know why didn’t you help before.
Then I got a job a killroys. One night this group of women come in all tattoos and percings; very punk. and I over hear them say they have a venue but its locked and they can’t bust the lock because it is so tight. One of them sees me and just says “can you bust it in girly?” She was telling me to mind my business but I says “probably but I’d need a good kit to do it”
“Oh fracking really? Girls got chops, lets see if she can cash dat cheque her mouth just wrote”
Old ware house fuchi cyber systems logos. Caught up in two corporate disintegrations and a crash. No corp security team is going to come near it of fear of pissing off the others lawyers and the local fuzz aint bothered cos its corp. Problem its locked tighter that fort knox with old real old old locks that control fail to locked doors.
They got no hacker to do it. no chains to be cut no gaps to be jimmyed. So I take a look and an instinct took over. Hidden screw at the back and the real wiring at the top. Three snips and clip and it just opened.
And that was the beest day ever. They were planning a roller derby party, pop up night club. ooooh it was so beautiful the music the AR, VJS, the racers and the race it was the first time since forever I felt normal, its the music the AR and it all mixed together. I felt at home in my own skin. I danced all night. It was amaaaaazing my home. I had found higara.
I fell into this like l been born to it. And I got invited to more. That crazy elf girl ha ha. But truly I just didn’t care. Don’t like people busting my vibe. This is my home this is where I heal my hurts. I have this life now i travel a lot which means I can get out of the city sort my head and stay away and have to be real careful around the green squad. Start looking for the others and work out what happened. I want to put a jar of sand on Clienweans grave. Tell her everything that happened