Jackie Jackson.

Jackie Jackson.

JACKIE JACKSON

Jackie slowly stirred awake, despite that yelling ringing through her aching head. Realizing her eyes were stinging, due to the shiny, white metal that surrounded her reflected the glass-green and now indigo-lit skies. Almost night fall.

She was in a pod. Felt the rumbling within the rough leather seat she was forced to sit in.

Such brazen movement, each rough bump that jerked her entire body an inch above, made her realize that her hands were physically confined themselves, between her legs.

A small, smooth dome that had ports for the hands, soft lining to provide… Some comfort to the detained.

Jackie sighed, lowly as she threw her head back against the cushion of her seat. It hurt her head more, that she has to accept that she’s going to a detainment center, versus the possible brain damage she accrued by the unnatural.

“All of this… You’ve done. All of this, and for what? Staring at your stupid phone for too long and got scared?”

Jackie groggily trained her weak glare at the screen before her. The few pieces of décor in a purposefully blank space.

One of the two on the screen had ruffled, short brown hair. Glasses with slim lenses and a frame that was in an oval shape. Set flat and ridged against his long, stoney face as he sat in the passenger seat—as he looked through Jackie’s phone.

It was customary, for the EXTANT Enforcers to wear their helmets at all times. After all, anything could happen at this point. So it was damning, and told everything that Jackie needed to know, when she saw BOTH of her handlers with their helmets in their mutual laps.

The passenger Enforcer looked directly at their camera, as the other had their eyes trained on the road. Due to the camera being placed in the bottom-center of the dashboard, it seemed like the Enforcer was looking down at her.

Again. Fitting…

“Ah, finally awake. Hopefully, for your sake, you DIDN’T suffer from brain damage. Because clearly, you’re already not all-too-stable up there to begin with.”

Jackie knew that they could see her in turn. She just simply replied with a deep glare, regretting that she’s still haggard to put power behind it.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“You better be lucky that you’re you enough that you passed out on the outskirts of the site. Yep, you nearly died outside of a gate. Hope you feel super liberated or whatever.”

Jackie gritted her teeth. Not in so much anger, but knowing that he was more or less right.

All the more reason to stay true. She and the others were forced to do this stupid, reckless thing. And she can’t give up now. She’s almost there…

“Yo, chill, Bryce…” his buddy tried to make the scathing man stop, but with little to no effort behind the bargaining. “Our job’s to drive people back and forth to the base—not anything else—”

“Doesn’t it make it more annoying for us to just end up fishing out kids outta their own shit?” Bryce immediately debated. And considering the long sigh the driver exhaled seconds after, Bryce seemed to be the type that wants to spark debates “to make things interesting” or “prove a point”. “We’re supposed to be the literal last line of defense. Save people from cosmically warped buildings and give them a chance to live. Not pick up little girls from their makeshift suicide attempt all because she couldn’t stop doomscrolling last night—”

“The fuck is ‘doomscrolling’, man…?” the driver verbally sighed out. As if engaging is the only reprieve for dealing with this man, lest he keeps chattering and whining.

“I’ll read it to you…” Bryce adjusted in his seat, looking down Jackie’s phone, scrolling down the screen. “‘Rising Concerns: the Davenport Island Plan and the Loss of Cultural Identity’. ‘EXTANT: Turbulence Has To Be Expected During This Exodus’. ‘This Smart City of the Future Taking Cues From EPCOT—So the Future’s Bleak After All’. And what do you know: a tab on Bio about Eli Davenport—namely the page where it lists all of his recent controversies…”

Bryce trained his gaze “back” on Jackie. “He’s saving your fucking life, you massive crybaby. In a matter of weeks—if that—your city’s going to be wiped from the face of the Earth. He’s literally giving you land and a place to stay that’s state of the art and basically Shift Relocation Forgiveness on top of that. What’s exactly the fucking problem here, kid? Other than it’s change and you don’t like it?”

Jackie just continued to stare back. Felt her grimace starting to tighten, along with her blood boiling under the surface.

“Man. If you keep chewing her ass out like this, Leech’s not gonna get a chance to at this rate…” The driver shook his head. “Chain of command, man. Let him dish out the life lessons and shit. Let us stay stooges.”

Jackie couldn’t hide her eyes softly widen. A sudden, notable glint of brilliance. Recognition.

She smiled. Perfect. Things are going perfectly so far.

As the EXTANT vehicle jerked the tall young woman about in her seat, it forced her to look outside of her window. Making Jackie take in the fact that they’re on a freeway.

One of the freeways that allowed one to see the coast.

Massive metal carriers that slowly glided across the darkening skies. Able to destroy a series of skyscrapers, one crashing alone.

And a metallic monstrosity that glided against the surface of the ocean. Not that Jackie feared the island, but monstrous being massive, gigantic. The propulsion that allowed the city-island to move, constantly made this sheen of sea spray—rendering the island of Davenport into a silhouette. A gigant, ominous shadow that was coming closer to them.

Jackie wished that she could ball her fists in this moment. She can only hope the other girls are on their way. They cannot screw any of this up.