Prometheor

Three Years Later

Leo crouched low on the rooftop, afraid of being seen. With his goggles, he scanned the sky.

No surveillance drones, he assured himself. He returned his attention to the street below, where someone who looked exactly like him was having his satchel upended on the sidewalk.

Three pigs were frantic about controlling the scene. They'd found a clone, which was a big deal, but this clone was bulkier, more muscular than Leo. The pigs were waiting for backup before they told the clone the obvious truth: that he would be placed under arrest and be true-deathed by the state. If he fought back or ran, the pigs would be forced to take drastic action and endanger the lives of innocent bystanders.

He zoomed in on the clone. Sweating profusely, eyes darting around looking for some help, some escape.

He's seconds away from shoving the pigs aside and making a run for it.

Two pigs were going through the contents of the clone's satchel while the other kept a weapon trained on him.

My leather sack, Leo thought. People know what to look for. He ducked again, low to the rooftop.

From down below, he heard the sound of his own voice protesting, raising in volume and distress. The sounds reached a crescendo and then he heard the sound of a weapon being discharged.

He looked down and saw the clone laying face down on the sidewalk, blood running away from his smoking, ruined spine. One pig had his knee on his neck, the other two were cuffing the dead body as lights and sirens brought more pigs to the scene.

Slowly, quietly, Leo left.

#

Judith knew something was wrong when she saw the crowd gathered at the door to their flat. She carried Ranisi in her arms and was immediately on edge, wanting nothing more than to pretend they didn't live there. They'd been spotted, though.

"What are those lions doing, mommy?"

"Don't speak to them," she whispered as they slowly approached.

"Have you seen this man?" one of the lions asked when they neared. They were somehow more intimidating in uniform. "We're told he carries a large leather sack."

She gazed at the projection, pretending to study the face for the first time. It was Leo they were searching for using the image of one of the clones.

"I haven't. Aren't those the clones? I thought this planet was cleared months ago."

"What about you, little girl? Have you seen this man lurking about?"

#

They'd just put little Jaden to bed when the three men came. Shannah's son was a gifted young prescient, especially considering neither parent was. It was a handful having a five-year-old who saw a detailed image of the future.

Shannah and her husband, Arden, were about to immerse themselves in a shared dream when someone knocked at the door.

"We must speak with your child," Arden was told when he opened the door. One of them had a firearm.

Shannah only heard her husband say, "We don't want any trouble," just before the three tall strangers entered.

One of them said, "This way," as though he'd been here before and the three of them went directly to Jaden's room, Arden close behind protesting. She became instantly furious and stormed after them.

Before the trio of strangers got to the door, they all heard, "It's okay, mom, they're just here to talk. They think I know something."

#

Anwan Deval took a break to thoroughly stretch his body. He had been working overnight again but excitement fueled him.

"I've been thinking," he said as he touched his toes.

"Yes?"

"How much power is being diverted to the barrier?"

"Oh, I hardly notice it anymore. Now that I've stepped through time, and I am corporeally absent, an enormous amount of processing power has been freed up. Humans are continually processing a staggering amount of raw emotional data and abstract thinking."

Anwan sat on the ground, stretching his legs, thinking. "And those lunatics in orbit...what're they doing?"

"The same thing they've done since I sent their probe into the future: praying."

Anwan stood and flexed his neck. "Don't they have any prescients onboard? Haven't they seen the future?"

"There are three, and they've informed everyone else that they will never be permitted to land."

"And yet they remain?" He reached for the sky, breathing deep.

"And yet they remain."

I'm going to sleep for a few hours, tomorrow's a big day."

"Yes, Janway is turning thirteen. You may rest your body for...six hours."

Anwan stopped and turned. "Elliot?"

"We have a lot of work to do, Anwan."

#

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed Prometheor. Please follow me to stay tuned for Prometheor II: The Hunt.

In the wake of Elliot Grandmore, the galaxy was still sorting itself out. The Houses of Gods and Man were going through a reorganization phase which left ultimate authority up for grabs. The gods were bickering, the royals were warring and the ignobles were scrambling to survive through the transitional phase.

It was into this chaos Leo began to take his first steps as a hunter. As a killer...