Renegade World: Future Past (33 page)

“I wonder what they did all winter. This would depress me.”

Naami picked up three screwdrivers off the dirt floor that
had been dropped by someone. “The girls probably helped their moms cook and
make clothes. The boys might have learned how to make arrows, bows, and other
things used for hunting or war. I’m guessing that the older people told stories
and—”

There was a loud knock at the door. “Come in. It’s open,”
said Raul.

A man opened the door. “There you are.”

Naami looked at Raul in surprise and then turned to the man.
“Officer Bear. What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you two.”

Raul stood up. “Looking for us? Why?”

“It’s probably nothing, but…quiet…listen.”

They all heard the whine of electric motors, chain noise,
and the crunch of gravel.

“Dirt bikes,” said Naami, “maybe nine of them, and they’re
not supposed to use them here.”

Naami, I just sent a message to Karl Hunter.

Good idea.

“They weren’t out there when I parked and walked here. The
ranger isn’t answering either.” Jack Bear held up his hand. “Yes.” He looked at
the door as he spoke to someone over his implant. “That’s right…I hope it’s just
kids riding where they’re not supposed to.” Just as his finished his sentence,
they heard multiple shots fired.

Naami and Raul dropped to the floor as Jack pulled his
pistol and crouched down, aiming his gun at the door. “We’re taking fire,” said
Jack to whoever he was connected to.

As Naami heard someone walking up the roof, she gripped the
handle of the screwdriver with the sharpest blade. “They’re on the roof too.”
She scrambled behind one of the four large, central posts so that she was
protected from both the door and the smoke hole. Raul and Jack did the same.

Two shots hit the door, splintering the wood. Naami saw a
shadow as someone walked around the smoke hole.
They can’t see us.
Two
shots came down through the smoke hole, not close to her, Raul, or Jack. As
more shots hit the door, she saw a face peer down through the smoke hole. A hand
holding a pistol followed. She waited until the hand came down farther, and
then she threw the screwdriver, impaling the gunman’s forearm. He screamed and
dropped the pistol. She grabbed it before it hit the floor and aimed through
the hole as she backed toward the post.

In the distance, she heard sirens, and the whine of the
dirt bike motors receded.

“I
’m too old Ben. I’ve decided to stay earth side. If I
were your age, I’d go with you in a heartbeat.”

“I’m sorry to hear that Dad, but I understand.”

“How many people will we have on the moon by the end of the
year?”

“Two hundred and fifty.”

“And the launch.”

“Geoffry says it’s still a go for next year.”

“Excellent.”

N
aami.

Yes, Abraham.

There are reports by several news services that six
nuclear bombs intended for Mecca, Medina, Najaf, Karbala, Damascus, and Mashhad
were intercepted by police and military in the countries of Iran, Iraq, Saudi
Arabia, and Syria. A group calling itself Concerned Christians is being blamed.

I hope they got them all.

R
aul walked over to the stands after his final sparring
match. Mr. Schmidt threw him a towel. “Nice match, Raul.”

“Thanks. He was a really tough opponent in a match like
this where contact isn’t permitted.”

“Yeah, but he wouldn’t last in a street fight, leaning way
back like that.”

“That’s what made it frustrating.” Raul wiped the sweat off
his face. “Did I miss Naami’s match?”

“Yes. They stopped it early because she was ahead eight to
zero.”

“Where is she?”

“She wanted to get closer to watch the finals of the twelve
and thirteen-year-old black belt boys sparring matches. She said to find her
when you were done.”

“I’m glad my birthday is next month. There’s no question
that that guy Kamau is going to win it. I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”

Naami’s mom smiled at Raul. “Just try to the best you can
be. You might not be a Naami or a Kamau, but you are someone special too. Look
around. How many of the other kids even make it to a finals match?” Raul had
taken first in boys ten and eleven black belt traditional forms, traditional
weapons, and sparring. He and Naami had taken first in traditional team forms
and team weapons forms.

He nodded. “I suppose there’s always someone better than
you…unless you’re Naami. I’m going to go watch the match with her.”

“Hey, Naami. I heard you won. Big surprise.”

“She was aggressive, but her defense wasn’t very good.” She
pointed toward the ring. “Let’s watch.”

Raul shook his head. “That guy Kamau is almost a foot
taller than his opponent.”

“The other guy’s name is Dennis. I saw one of his matches.
He’s really quick.”

They watched in silence until the match ended. “You’re
right that Dennis is quick, but for a big guy, Kamau is unbelievably quick.”

“Yeah. He moves fast and has great hand speed. He blocked
every combination without any unnecessary movement.”

“Are you Naami Schmidt?”

She turned at looked at the silver haired sixth-degree
black belt. “Yes, sir. I am.”

“We traditionally end our tournament with demonstrations by
competitors that the judges feel are the best in the tournament. We invite you
to demonstrate your extreme form. Would you?”

She bowed to him. “I would be honored. Do I have to do the
same form or can I change it up?”

“You can change it if you want, although the people who saw
you raved about your form.”

“F
or our final demonstration we welcome Naami Schmidt. In
her first time at the Diamond Nationals, Ms. Schmidt, competing in the nine and
under black belt division, took firsts in traditional forms, extreme forms, traditional
weapons forms, and sparring.” The judge lowered his microphone and bowed to
her. She bowed back.

She walked to the center of the ring and then bowed in all
four directions. After the fourth bow, she yelled, “My form is unnamed, each
move decided in the moment.” She snapped to a ready stance.
I’m not holding
anything back.
Exploding out of her stance, she took three steps into a
flying double front kick. After a diving somersault took her into the corner of
the ring, she did a sweep from the floor and then kipped to her feet.

Her next sequence was a jump spin hook kick, three tornado
crescent kicks, and a jump spin crescent kick. As she turned toward the far
corner, she did an outside block followed by a flurry of backfists, punches and
ridge hands. Without pausing she exploded into an aerial, then a back
handspring, another back handspring, and a back flip in layout position. As her
feet reached the top of the flip, she coiled her legs and thrust a back kick
before landing. As soon as she landed she took three steps into a 540 inside
crescent kick and then continued into another 540 inside crescent kick.

OK. Get to the corner.
She snapped a rising block
followed by a front thrust kick into the corner of the ring. Standing on her left
leg, she did four above-head-height round kicks, turning with each one until
she faced the far corner.
Alright, the big finish with a triple plus twist.
She flew into a round-off, followed by a back handspring, another back
handspring, and finally a twisting back flip in layout position. As she went
into the third twist, she coiled her right leg, and after the third twist she
completed the move with an inside crescent kick before landing on one leg. She
let her momentum carry her into a tornado crescent kick and finally a 720
spinning backfist.
I killed that.
She brought her feet together and
bowed as the crowd exploded in applause and cheers, the loudest of the day.

N
aami watched silently as they approached Tower City on
the way back home.  Next to her, Raul slept. Her mom also appeared to be
sleeping, but she never was sure if her mom was sleeping or just deeply meditating
on something she was working on.

Time, Abraham?

Half past one.
They had stopped for a late dinner at
a Perkins in Alexandria. She and Raul each had finished off the Tremendous Twelve
while her parents just split a stack of pancakes.

I wish I could sleep.
She had studied math for an
hour but was too antsy to study anymore.

They passed the Tower City exit.
A lot has happened
since last spring. Maybe it wasn’t my best idea to show everyone what I can
really do, but I needed to do it. I made me feel like I’m in control of my
life. I’ve got so much I want to do.

Naami, look behind us!

She looked back and saw a huge truck pulling closer and
closer, larger than life as it roared within a couple of car lengths of them.
“Dad!”

Her dad took manual control of the SUV and accelerated, but
the car in front of them slowed down, forcing him to slam on the brakes as the
truck veered sharply into the left lane, sped up, and started to pass them. As
the first trailer passed them, the second and third trailers began fishtailing,
the oscillations getting worse, not better.

Her dad swerved onto the shoulder, and a couple of
milliseconds later, the weaving third trailer hit them with an explosive bang,
sending the SUV into an uncontrollable spin, cartwheeling, end over end, down a
steep embankment into a ditch.

“Dad,” she screamed.
I don’t want to die. I’ve got so
much I want to do.

K
arl? Wake up, Karl. Emergency, Karl.

He slipped out of bed.
Why are the emergencies always in
the middle of the night?
“Go.”

Naami Schmidt’s implant just messaged you that the
Schmidts were just run off the road near Tower City. The three Schmidts and
Raul Martinez are all unconscious.

“Connect me to Jake Stahl, Rebeka Lee Johnson, and
whichever chopper pilot is on duty. Conference them in as they connect.”

Mr. Hunter, Todd Jeffries here.

“Todd, get the chopper ready. We’re going to Tower City—“

Karl, Rebeka Lee here.
The tone of her voice was ice
cold.
Your implant gave me the bad news.

“Todd, put the chopper down at Rebeka Lee’s farm ASAP. I’ll
meet you there.”

Karl, Jake. I’m still in West Fargo. As soon as I get my
shoes on, I’m on the road.

“How long?”

ETA is thirty minutes, give or take.

“OK. We’ll be there thirty minutes or so after you. I’ll
talk to you as soon as we’re airborne.”

I
t felt unreal. She was upside down, pinned by twisted,
crumpled metal. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Unable to reach her
seatbelt buckle, she strained to look for her mom, her dad, or Raul, but she
couldn’t see any of them through the wreckage.
Abraham,
a
m I alive?

Stay calm, Naami. You are bleeding and have broken ribs,
but you will be OK. I have called for help.

I feel so dizzy.

Naami, you’re in shock because of blood loss. The
bleeding has already stopped, but you’ve lost about thirty percent of your
blood, and you need to get your blood pressure up. Tell your body to contract
your blood vessels and create more plasma.

I don’t know how.

Just imagine it. Feel the need. You must want it more
than anything you’ve ever wanted. Imagine your blood vessels contracting.
Imagine your kidneys absorbing water and sodium. Imagine calcium releasing from
your bones and calcium being absorbed by your intestine. I’ve already ramped up
vitamin D production.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine her kidneys
demanding that blood vessels contract and tried to feel them contracting. She
imagined her kidneys absorbing water.

A few minutes later she thought she heard an animal howl.
A
wolf?
She heard gunshots and men screaming followed by car tires
screeching.
Abraham, am I dreaming?

No. Stay focused on telling your body to create plasma.

I’m not feeling as dizzy.

Good. Your blood vessels have probably—.

Abraham, how are my parents and Raul?

Hypatia reports that your mother is unconscious but has
had no loss of blood. Raul’s AI reports that he is unconscious but only minor
blood loss.

And my father?

I regret that I cannot get a response.

Tears streamed from her face, and she began to sob.

Help is minutes away, Naami.

Too late for my dad.
She sobbed louder.

We don’t know that for sure.

I know, and it’s my fault.

It’s not your fault, Naami.

It is. I drew attention to myself, and this is the
result.

She tried to calm her sobbing as she heard sirens closing
and then vehicles pulling up. As soon as she heard voices, she yelled, “Get the
driver first!”

“This is Deputy Sheriff Billings. Are you hurt?”

“I lost a little blood, but I’ve stopped the bleeding. The
other three are still unconscious, but the driver is in the worst shape.”

“Can you unlock the doors?”

Abraham?

The doors unlocked, and metal screeched as the front door
was forced open. There was a pause, and then her door opened a few inches.
“Miss. We’re going to wait for the ambulance to pull out the driver. It will be
here real soon.”

She bit her lip to keep from crying.

“Let’s try to get you out.” Billings and another deputy
braced themselves and pulled until the door was half open. He reached in and
supported her weight as he unbuckled the seatbelt. “Give me your hand, and I’ll
try to slide you out. Tell me to stop if it causes you pain.”