The Medusa Strain (WIP 2020)

Chapter 1

April 28th of the New Year, 2285 Z.E.

Lake City. Block 28, Sector 14.

"Jeri!"

"Jeri!"

"Jeri!"

I could almost swear that was my friend, Blake, calling out to me as I made my way down the dirty landscape that had once been a thriving metropolis from the days of old.

Even so, the last jump I made almost had me landing on my ass the hard way as my boots scuffed the hard ground, the broken tarmac and bits of pulverized steel where one of Zeus's grand bolts had made their home after the last storm had lit up the skies above my head.

"Leave me alone, you fucking rail rider!" I hollered back with indignation as I started to make a run for the next rail car that hung on its suspension cables just above my head.

But the transit station I was trying to beat feet to didn't give me much leeway as I quickly produced my electronic pass card and swiped it on the service reader ahead of me–beeping twice as it went.

I didn't get within two feet of the raised platform before Blake managed to beat me inside once again–just as the damned doors closed in on themselves with a hydraulic hiss of escaping air.

"Shit!" I screamed with marked frustration. "I'm gonna kill you man! That's the fifth time you managed to beat me this week! I hate you!"

"You're slow!" Blake said with a tell tale grin of his own–before taking a seat next to the empty row in front of him.

"And you'll always be slow!"

I bared my teeth at him in passing. "I'll show you who is slow, asshole."

"You can't threaten me! Only my mom and sister threatens me!" He taunted from his side of the rail car. The thing started moving in herky-jerky movements before the cable motors started up on their own overhead.

The lights brightened a bit in response–giving way to a powerful luminescence that helped dispel the depressing visage outside. It had been practically raining for the better part of the month here in Lake City and summer hadn't even started yet.

I advanced on my childhood friend with surefire vengeance in mind, my dark brown eyes glittering with malicious intent. I may not be as tall or strong as Blake, but I had a few things going for me as a Lake City senior on the other side of the quadrant.

In the span of a heartbeat, I flicked the stupid fucker right between the eyes with my sharpened nails which left a pretty good imprint on his greasy forehead if I do say so myself.

Then I bopped him on the top of his head as I took my customary seat behind him–knees up of course. I threw my pack in the small space next to me–knowing that the trip to Block 7 was going to take the better part of an hour. Maybe more–depending on foot traffic.

The middle of the week was always the busiest for this part of the city that still had leftover blocks–leftovers from a time when the world ended, the bombs fell, and humanity nearly bit the big one hands down.

If it hadn't been for a few hardy survivors, the Greek Gods and a few other interested parties...?

I shuddered despite myself–thinking of the stories my aunt and uncle would tell me around the living room overlooking one of the older scrap yards that still serviced Blocks 7,8, and 10.

I did not want to think about it. I had enough problems as it is–being eighteen, being a virgin (still), having zero prospects for a boyfriend, and wondering why I still broke out in an itchy rash every time I had my fucking period.

Or why my hair was this star-filled lavender highlight? That was the thing my mom could never figure out. Why my hair looked as black as midnight while hers was brown with white streaks in it and dad's was a royal red.

I snorted softly as I looked out the right side passenger window.

Maybe I was really adopted as my papers suggested. I could never get a straight answer out of anyone lately. So like the good little girl, I let the matter slide.

It didn't matter if my parents weren't my birth parents or not. I still had a home to go to and friends to play Laser Tag with at the odd hours of the night out by Sanctuary Park.

And it had been like this for as long as I could remember.

The rail car slowed down to its next scheduled destination in about ten minutes–the doors opening as they went to admit new passengers. It was then that I looked up and spied Richie Tatum just as he was coming on board with his younger sister, Laurie.

I nearly jumped out of my seat at the sight of him–calling out his name excitedly as I went. It took the poor guy a moment or two to figure out who was trying to flag him down and he made his way towards me and Blake with his sister in tow.

"Thought there was a game tonight, bro?" Blake was asking the star quarterback of the Lake City Sharks.

"Canceled due to the weather. Damned Zeus must be pissed at someone within the city limits if he's dumping on all our asses all month long."

I laughed a bit in turn. "Can't be helped." I said, looking at him earnestly. Okay, so I was smitten with the guy. But what girl wouldn't? This boy had a ton of female admirers since that day he scored six touchdowns against the Bayside Ravens in one fifteen minute quarter.

Set a school record too. But the boy had a golden arm that just wouldn't quit. And rumors had it, he was going to play in the majors down in the south side of Quadrant 3–where the real money lay.

Once he finished high school of course. Sign up as a free agent.

Then the car's motors started up with a screeching noise, followed by a grind, and we all paused for a moment–thinking that this was going to end up with some mechanical failure which would ground us here at the station.

Glancing out the window, I happened to spy Jack Spritzers book shop just across the way and thought that wouldn't be a bad place to get stranded at.

At least he would have a ready made plate of sugar cookies and a pot of tea or hot chocolate waiting for us. I thought with some heart felt desire–wishing the car would break down and leave us stranded, but with a tell tale whine, the lights inside brightened again as the electrical current surged through the lines and the car's doors shut automatically and started up.

I sighed with heavy set disappointment and realized my once held fantasy would come crashing down on me like the ocean surf and my dreams of cookies and tea bled away as the car successfully pulled away from the station with a last minute lurch.