Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

74 ∞ live or die

(Play the beautiful soundtrack video...)

Day Seventeen ∞ Sunday afternoon

"THIS IS A PICTURE of my chromosomes. Humans have twenty-three pairs."

Atlas sat on his bag on the slope behind him and eyed her. "Chromosomes? I don't know shit about DNA, chromosomes, or any of this." He looked at the back of the print, then turned it over again. "But this is more than twenty-three."

"I have nineteen extra."

He stared at her, then at the print.

"I am a host—an Ark—for a species of cat. I was born with it. As each healthy member of our populace were. This was... an important measure taken to ensure the survival of the gene pool of our animal kingdom. But—"

"Cat? You're a cat? We found black cat hairs in the back of the truck"—Atlas glanced at Danny—"identified as belonging to a jaguar that killed the cougar. You know what?" His jaw clenched as he shook his head. "I ju-just don't want to know... Fucking animal-people-hybrid whatever... You're just weird," he muttered.

"I know not... how it is."

Mickmi pulled at her shirt collar to look at her right shoulder, and Atlas followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing. The four parallel slash marks were dull on her skin.

"I remember... riding the back of the truck when Daniel found me. I remember... fighting the cougar. But Daniel says I was asleep in his guest room." She drew a deep breath. "I fear... this is some thing I can not control... when it expresses itself. If it does—if you see something is wrong with—"

Atlas looked up from the print. "Are you still talking? So what, you're a fucking dog now?" There was an exasperated note in his voice. "I don't – want – to know." He shoved the print back at her.

"Cat!" Danny jumped up and strode to Mickmi's side, glaring at Atlas. "She said cat, man. Why the—"

"Daniel." Mickmi's voice was soft, diffusing Danny's indignation, and when Danny met her gaze, she lowered hers with just a slight shift. It struck him as odd, so unlike her, but he didn't get to dwell on it as she returned to Atlas, "Dogs are of equal importance in the animal kingdom."

"Yeah." Atlas snorted. "That'll save you... They'll force feed you puppy chow, and make you breed with a German Shepherd."

"They'll what?" Danny stared at him in disbelief. "How can you even—"

Atlas swung his head toward him. "Doesn't matter—dog, cat, fish... They'll unfuck her in ways you can't possibly imagine." Atlas looked sideways at Mickmi. "Maybe you should go back to your dying planet and die, princess. And you"—he stood up, targeting his eyes at Danny—"shut – the – fuck – up." He paced away from them and halted, his back turned.

Danny swallowed the rest of his sentence and looked at Mickmi. She was staring at the distant ground, a furrow between her brows.

Mi... Don't listen to him, he's just rambling.

She met his gaze, her eyes dark, and he felt her—she was saddened by Atlas's brutal words.

Mickmi...

"I am prepared," she said, turning to Atlas, "to be sampled... tested... if that is what they wish of me." Her voice was tight.

No, Mickmi...

"I shall not be experimented on." She put the print back in her bag.

Atlas strode back to her. "They won't give you that choice so you'd better pray to whatever god you believe in. We won't have much room to negotiate. Is there anything else—not weird—I should know about you people?"