The Twisted Tally: Chapter 1

The Twisted Tally: By Quill

         In 2134, the Earth had reached its peak; A population of 11.3 billion, and the space age just stretching its newfound tendrils out to other worlds. Skyscrapers gleamed upward toward a sky filled with possibility. But this possibility was never fulfilled. Our gleaming cities were filled 'til the seams strained, threatening to burst. Their were so many mouths to feed, too little a crop. Too many people, not enough homes.
         To top it all off in this wondrous primordial soup heralding doomsday yet to come? The resurgence of an old foe long forgotten. A disease of terrible proportions, ravaging with speed and untold ferocity. Avoiding the pustules of black didn't really cut it.
         In the 1900's, there was a little known resurgence of the plague. It started, and ended, with a small European village. This time, however, it was no longer bubonic. It had changed to infest the persons lungs, and spread through coughing. It was deemed the pneumonic plague.
         Flash forward 200 or so years and you've got a bigger problem. A small village can be quarantined and the disease traced quickly. But an entire city of millions? It spread like wildfire, leaving humanity devastated in its wake. Now, in the year 2260, only a fraction of us still live. City states were formed and walled off with the hopes of rebuilding, and a strict social rule formed. Out with the sick and disabled. Survival of the fittest.

~~~

         New Hope, with a population of 30,000 deemed, "untainted", deports an average of 500, "tainted" citizens per year. A ceremony is held upon reaching 18 years of age, in which all who are considered genetically impure due to hereditary disabilities and disorders are cast out from the city. Taken to a remote location, they are left to try and make their own life. Most never survive, and none are spared from this.
         I once saw a man in a wheelchair beg to stay. He had money, he pleaded. He intended to bribe the guards, and instead they left him without his wheelchair as punishment. Others are said to give up, waiting for death to take them. But a legend goes that if you travel far enough west, a city where our kind is accepted awaits.
         My name is Anthony Dunn, born August 8, 2242. Tainted number #782242-61237-AU-HI. I am a high functioning autistic who was deemed tainted after the Brenfurt-Asmir case deemed autism a genetic impurity. Along with hundreds of others, I am going to be kicked from the city on today, my birthday.

~~~

         The trains emptied, bodies spilling like water onto the parched ground. The dirt was bone dry and cracked, and the sun gave little relent. I squirmed free from the group and gasped in the fresh air. I hated people touching me, much less in a small box car for hours on end. I was free at last. I took in my surroundings as I heard more cars empty and guards call roll.
         The train carried 13 box cars in all. People spilled from each and the cacophony of babble and conflict was contained only by a circle of guards. Beyond that was an endless dessert. It stretched on with no end in sight. The rusted tracks ended here, broken and twisted, no magnetic pulse would carry anything further as it sputtered sparks. Instead, trucks awaited just beyond the tracks. Another 13.
         A gruff looking guard armed with an assault pulse rife approached me. I found it strange he wore no uniform.
         "You, follow me." He beckoned vaguely and set off towards another group.
         With no further explanation seeming likely, I unquestioningly followed. I saw something dart from the corner of my eye. I turned in time to see a woman try to charge a guard, and she was quickly beaten down. She was pale, probably anemic. "Eyes forward!" The guard yanked me forward to continue following him.
          We stopped at the very end of the cars, where people were being paired up then injected with something and ushered into trucks. I did not give myself time to dwell on what I saw, I only did as told. The guard pointed to a woman who looked rather hysterical. I took my place in line with her.
         She was pale, with reddish brown hair, and emerald green eyes full of fear. Great, potentially a mental disorder? She was scrawny and short, her frazzled tufts of hair reminiscent of straw. I watched her carefully as she wrung her hands nervously. I silently prayed she wouldn't go batshit crazy. Her wirey frame posed little threat, I reasoned. But still the thought wouldnt leave me.
         "Next!" I moved forward, she didnt. I yanked her to my side violently and yet she didnt make a sound. Suddenly, I felt a prick on my neck and everything became one distant mess.
         Everything had seemed a blur before, as though I was not in control, and in truth I wasnt. I just followed the guards and their calls and never thought twice about it. But now, as the sedatives clung thick and heavy like morning fog over my mind, I felt free. I shifted limply in motion back and forth, perhaps in rythym with a truck? It didnt mean a thing to me, I knew soon id be free of the untainted and thier rule, and that was enough for me.

~~~

         The sun lazily danced across my face with its lethargic charm. The air was warm but not unpleasant. Children played on the distant fields, but their I sat alone, above chaos of man, enjoying the complexities of the world from afar. Under the birch just past the schoolyard.
Every day at free time.
         If I was still, a perusing deer or gregarious hare might give close interest. But on this day, I had only myself and my thoughts. I liked to play too, but not as the other kids. I thought of worlds far away, of people grandiose to the very humble. Lands where up was down and down was up. I once tried explaining this game to another kid, but I was too brief and to the point. My mouth could not portray the mind's panders. I was always this way around others.
         Seemingly from nowhere came a violent shake and this world turned to black. I was awake once more. There was that girl again. Seeing I was awake she made several lightning fast gestures with her hand and stood up, waiting for me to do the same. I rose hesitantly, focused intently on where we were.
          A strange metal canopy of twisted support beams and rebar hung above us. Creepers clung like strands of hair scattered amongst the shards of light seeping in. The walls were covered with the stuff too. I could make out an old sign on the farthest corner, surrounded by several overturned tables. "Ronnie and Jay's good eatins' of the day: Ronnie's flip and dip scallops."
         Underneath read, "AS PER NEWEST DISEASE PROTOCOLS, THIS RESTRAUNT SHALL BE TEMPORARILY OUTFITTED AS A QUARANTINE ZONE. THIS BUILDING SHALL CONTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5 WEEKS. UNLESS AUTHORIZED, ENTRANCE OR EXIT IS PROHIBITED. SEE QUARINTINE COMMAND ARNOLD BURZSWITZ IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS." I doubted this Arnold Burzwitz still lived. The pnuemonic plague however, supposedly remained stagnant in these old city according to my history teacher Mrs. Steele. I didnt intend to find out.
          I spoke quietly, my voice sounding harsh and dry as I realized just how thirsty I was,"We need to get out of here, any ideas where we are?" I approached the girl no older than I and looked out the window the had been waiting by this whole time. A jagged skyline of crumbling and broken towers stretched on for miles, and we sat high above ground floor. Ive always hated heights.
         "So, you havent, er...talked. Can you?" I sputtered. Would it really matter when you are just as fluent in conversation as she has been? I chided myself silently, barely noticing another flicker of movement from her hands. As she did so she fell forward, ever so gracefully smacking her face into the window, reeling back, and tripping over myself. We both were sent sprawling to the ground.
         "That hurt" Wow Anthony you should really write a book one day. All jokes aside, I really didnt have time to deal with this clutz who I'd grown fairly certain was incapable of caring for herself. But something kept me from leaving her like that and finding my own way. Curse my own kindness, I only hoped it wouldnt get me killed. I came back to her side and helped her up. It became apparent instantly that she had a lame leg. This time she softly mouthed a thank you, and the next realization hit me like a rock. She cant talk.
         "Are...Are you...mute? I dont know sign langauge." Straight to the point, as always, I pried. "Dephf...Eye red liphs. Cane yu?" Her voice trembled and her words were heavily slurred, despite her loud volume.
         "Oh, yeah, I can. You?" Anthony you dumbass. Atleast her bad speech has an excuse. She gave me a confused look and before she can reply I stumbled back on my words, "N-evermind. We need to get out of here...Can you walk?" Wonderful questions. Next youll ask if she can hear!
         She mouthed the word no and cupped her arms like a cradle pleadingly. As much as my kindness extended, the thought of touching someone was enough to make me reconsider leaving her. Besides, there was no way I could carry her down every floor of this damned skyscraper, right? But despite every fiber of my being protesting, I found myself with a crippled deaf woman held uncomfortably in my arms. This would be a LONG walk.
         My thirst would not leave me be, and after a few floors I could tell this lady shared my pain. She longingly eyed the ancient and empty vending machines. Looking to distract myself, and break the silence, I decided I should learn a little bit more about whoever I was helping. "So, mind telling me your name. If you don't mind, of course" Smooth.
         She shocked me by again trying to speak, "Manem es...Amburr Steele." Daughter of Mrs. Steele I presumed. "Anthony Dunn. I was tainted because im autistic." Well perhaps she'd rather you look at her when you say that, not the doors to the left, I sighed. Truely, she didnt catch word I said because she hadn't been able to read my lips. I felt her suddenly shift in my arms and I glanced down to find her looking me in the eyes.
         Startled, I dropped her. Amber yelled out of shock as she hit the ground with a thud. Strangely enough, the sound of metal clanking followed. A nearby vending machine responded with a prompt thank you for our purchase. Forgetting about the woman sprawled on the floor, I rushed over a proudly procured two fresh cans of a cold liquid substance. I checked the drink by date. 22/5/2130? There used to be 22 months? Despite my confusion I knew the year was long due. But...would it really be that bad if it was still ice cold?
         Another resounding thud caught my attention as Amber failed an attempt to walk on her own. She stood with little trouble, but her first step sent her crashing headfirst into moldy carpet. I actually chuckled at this. "Having fun?" I sneered. "Shthut awp." Came a groan as she stood once more."Yur vuh wahn vthat drawped me." I handed her the drink and she gave it a reluctant look before popping it open and taking a swig. She gave a promising sigh and gulped even more of it down. Taking this as a good sign I popped mine open and took a long draught of it. It tasted perfectly fine.
         Then, about 10 mins later as we rested, came the projectile vomiting. Apparently a 100 year old soda isnt as good for you as you'd think. I felt so weak I couldnt move, and had spilled the contents of my gut with Amber for about an hour before finally, despite the pungent stench of filth down the hall, I drifted to sleep. I did not feel amber drag herself over to me, nor did I hear her quite loudly proclaim, "Yur go-nuh git me killed. Dum-az." Before also falling to her dreams.