Page 110 of Us Defiant Few

“So we could repopulate the earth.”

Her jaw dropped, but the Chief continued.

“I was the first clone he created. Once he perfected me, he brought back others. We were instructed to build Desert Spring as our first city. He gave us all the supplies, food, and medicine we’d need. And our orders were to build more cities across the Death-Zone. Peace was in our code. That’s what separated us from the humans,” the Chief reiterated, like she’d been told that many times before.

“But what we didn’t expect was a group of fifty humans to find our city. They were descendants of people who used to live in Las Vegas, the Sin City. I didn’t know what to do. I reported back to Father through a fax machine he gave us. He advised caution and warned that if they learned who we really were, they’d try to kill us. I didn’t believe him. His lessons of peace were ingrained in me, and we did everything to welcome the Sinners into our community, hoping we could repopulate the world with them. But young Ansel had his suspicions and broke into my library. That’s when he found the photos. When I told him the truth, Ansel and the rest of the Sinners stole our guns and killed most of my people before escaping. After that, we built a wall, and our only goal since then has been survival.”

The Chief shook her head, as if that moment was the biggest regret of her life.

“When I told Father what happened, he sent Patreus to teach our people how to fight and kill the Sinners. But our people were built for peace, not war, and I never gave the order to attack Ansel. When I told Father, he was furious and stopped sending plant seeds and the rest of our supplies. He said that we were just like the humans…and he abandoned us.” The Chief’s chest heaved, and she covered her face, heavy breaths leaking from her.

Khalani sat there, stunned.

The unbelievable story took flight within her, spinning off a thousand new questions.

Who was this “Father” she spoke of?

Where had he come from?

How many clones were there?

As Khalani stared at the broken-hearted Chief, her heart ached to reach out and hug her. But the thought immediately made her want to bang her head against the pole.

What the fuck was wrong with her? The Chief had them tied up and spied on them.

She wasn’t human. Khalani repeated the mantra to herself.

But if she wasn’t, then Khalani might not be either.

“Why was my picture down there?” her voice echoed out, barely above a whisper.

“I told you, I don’t know.” The Chief lifted her stark gaze. “Father left that album in Desert Spring because he said he didn’t want it found in his own city.”

“But am I like one of you? Am I a…clone?” Her fingers trembled, not wanting to hear the answer but needing to.

“Do you have memories of a previous life?” the Chief asked.

Khalani thought long and hard before she spoke.

She had nightmares of nuclear bombs descending over cities, but nothing like what the Chief had described. No clear life she remembered before the Great Collapse.

“No,” she finally said.

“Then I don’t think you are.”

“But that still doesn’t explain why my picture was down there! Or why you were spying on us.”

“I had to make sure you weren’t going to hurt my people. After what Ansel did, it was necessary.”

“But you have to know something!”

“I don’t know anything!” the Chief yelled, her hands trembling.

They reared back at the outburst.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen.” The chair fell over as the Chief stood, her face completely ashen. “I’ve died a thousand times and wished I died a thousand more. The only reason I accepted my new life was because I wanted peace. But now, Ansel is right outside the city, we’re all alone, and my people are going to die. If I’d never been born, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Tears poured in a torrent down her face, her cries eclipsing the room.