Book 2: Chapter 76: The Waiting Game (2/2)
Abby glanced at her, brow furrowed. ”I guess. So what?”
Margaret's fingers kept up their drumbeat. ”Your uncle once told me the People killed your parents because they were Naturals.”
Abby shook her head in immediate denial. ”The People blame grandpa and Mama Ana for... well all kinds of things. They hate anyone associated with them.”
”They hate Anastasia,” Margaret corrected, ”but it was your uncle's opinion that they saw Stanley as more of a tragedy.” Her fingers suddenly ceased, as if she'd only just realized that they were moving. She moved her hand into her lap, and met Abby's eyes. ”They knew each other, you know? Echo and Stanley, I mean. Anastasia explained it once to your uncle. The two weren't friends, but they also weren't enemies. They would debate the ethics of powers and upgrades. The People saw the Genius upgrade as a... condition, maybe? Like Stanley was mentally impaired, and could no longer be held accountable for his actions. At least that was your uncle's opinion on the matter.”
”That's why they don't target Stanley's side of the family? But Abby's parents... what? Were more closely related?” Dan asked her. He felt Abby's hand clench around his own.
Margaret shrugged. ”I don't know. It might not have anything to do with Anastasia at all. They might have just seen them as traitors to the cause. Naturals who ran a company complicit in eradicating their own kind. Summerset's interests are directly opposed to the People's. The company peddles in upgrades all across the country.”
”So because my parents chose to incarnate instead of getting upgrades, they had to be killed?” Abby demanded harshly. Dan squeezed her closer to him as he felt her body tense. ”That's insane!” It seemed almost like an accusation.
But Margaret frowned. ”There was no choice involved Abigail,” she said in the tone of someone who had just uncovered something unpleasant. ”Anastasia dosed your father with cosmic radiation on his eighteenth birthday. She knew Naturals were stronger than any upgrade available, and thought it the best course of action. Your mother incarnated under,” here, Margaret raised her fingers and made air quotes, ”'odd circumstances' shortly after your father proposed to her.”
This was apparently news to Abby, and she had no response other than to open and close her mouth several times. Dan interpreted the motions easily enough.
”Who told you this?”
”My husband, of course,” Margaret replied with a huff. ”It's not like Anastasia made a secret of it at the time. My Georgie was appalled, of course. He went out and got an upgrade the very next day. Said it needed to be his choice.” She smiled fondly. ”Only sixteen, brave and stupid.”
Abby finally seemed to find her words.
”It doesn't matter,” she declared. ”The People would have found a reason to do what they wanted. They're amoral zealots, and will fabricate whatever insanity they need to justify their decisions.”
”That,” Margaret replied with a nod, ”I think I can agree with. Just look at that.” She gestured to the television screen, which showed a wide horizon shot of the Austin skyline. Helicopters buzzed back and forth across the screen, and military vehicles roamed the street.
”Chaos,” Dan summarized. It looked like a quarantine zone plucked out of a zombie movie.
”This is nothing,” Abby said quietly, through gritted teeth. She pushed her back up against Dan's chest, and wrapped his other arm around her. ”This is just an interlude. The calm before the storm.”
Dan hummed his agreement, watching the screen as it changed back to a video of Gregoir fighting Cannibal. The apocalypse appeared to be on timeout, and both sides were regrouping their forces. He had a feeling he'd be looking back on these events as something quiet and desirable.
He had a feeling that, when the end finally came, it would be sudden, violent, and final.