Chapter VI: Mia

We are finally taking action. All my life we’ve been on the defensive, from Canada, from the SSNY, from everyone who detests us. I’ve heard many stories from the war, many good, but just as often terrible. That era may have come again, I’ve decided I won’t stand idly by, I will fight. Fight for the people I’ve met, and those I never have, they all deserve liberation in the purest form.

Mia pulled back from the pocketbook and raised her arms into a stretch. Picking up a cup of tea she stared out the window watching a solitary loon float across the calm lake in the morning light. Above the window a silver colored katana glinted in the sunlight that came through the window on the opposite wall. Etched into the steel was an inscription in what she assumed to be Japanese characters but she could not read. It had arrived with her when she was left in the collective as a child. She felt the inscription had to have some significance and often included it in her paintings. These paintings covered the walls of her room, mostly they were of scenery, mountains, lakes, and towns, but a few were portraits of her friends and some completely abstract.

After she finished her tea she decided it’d be best to head to the General Assembly. On days that they were called, work was suspended for everyone to encourage participation. She knew some of the scouts would still be out, especially given what had happened.

The Assembly was in walking distance from her apartment, in the old ice rink arena. The arena had been fitted for the Assembly, the ice covered with panel flooring, in the center was a long table with chairs. At the table sat members of each guild that operated in the AAC. The person that represented the group was chosen by the guild before every new General Assembly. Some of the seats were empty but Mia could see Jack was here already.

The scouts had elected Jack to present what he had presented to them the night before, and then ask the collective for help. Mia took a seat in one of the rising red seats that were the stands for the ice rink. She took out the old phone sending a message to Ann:

Hey, have you seen Alice yet?

Ann was usually quick to reply and today was no different in a few minutes a response came through:

No, she’s in Saranac I’m heading there after the assembly, want to go together?

Sure, I can drive.

Are you bringing Paul?

Yeah if that’s all right, I’m going to let him check out the town while we visit.

Yeah its fine.

Mia then let Ann know where she was in the arena, looking up from the phone she watched as the seats began to fill. Taking out the phone again she opened the picture she had taken yesterday and began sketching the image in her pocketbook, before she knew it Ann was there along with Paul.

Ann sat down next to her, “Good morning,” she greeted.

“Morning,” Mia replied.

Paul nodded at her, he still looked a bit tired, she smiled back.

“So, are you planning to joining in on this potential resistance?” Ann asked Mia.

“I kinda have already,” Mia answered, “I’ve been involved in the SSNY for a while now, I mean I was almost there this weekend…”

“I hate to say it, but its probably for the best you weren’t, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you,” Ann squeezed her hand.

“Yeah… I guess I should thank Kate for getting sick… regardless, I know people down there, I need to know if they’re okay.”

A tap on the microphone silenced the room, Jack was standing at the table below with the microphone in hand. “Good morning everyone,” Jack said, “I’ll be representing the scouts this morning, informing you of the details of the massacre in the SSNY that some of you have no doubt already heard about. Also, I personally have suggested direct action following these events and the scouts are with me, if any would like to join, or express discontent you may do so in the open forum we will be hosting in the coming week,” he paused and scanned the room before continuing into the speech he had given last night, finishing with unwavering conviction in his point.

An applause began following the conclusion and Jack smiled at the room and took a seat. John from the farmer’s guild stood and suggested each guild hold a meeting so that they could decide how they wished to proceed. The panel agreed and the assembly was adjourned until the evening.

Her pocket buzzed, she pulled out the phone to see a message from Jack:

I’m assuming that based on last night we are in agreement in proceeding to aid the Color Guard. If anyone has any grievances I will be at EMS all day today to discuss.

Jack 

Mia and Ann both looked up from their phones at the same time, “What is it?” Paul asked, looking a bit more awake.

“Jack, he’s just informing us that he’s proceeding with the decision we made last night,” Ann explained.

“Okay, so, we still going to the other town, so you can see your friend?”

“Yeah,” Ann turned to Mia, “You still want to go right?”

“Yeah of course.”

“Great, then you can drive.”

Mia sighed jokingly.

The group left the arena and piled into Mia’s Jeep which she drove through the winding mountain roads to the town of Saranac Lake. Saranac Lake was mostly home to the medical guild since the hospital was located there. The building that housed the hospital was made of simple red brick that towered over the rest of the town nestled behind the buildings that the main road cut through.

Mia and Ann entered the hospital while Paul left to wander the town agreeing to meet an hour later. Upon entering and giving Alice’s name they were directed to the second floor where she was in recovery. They entered the room to find her sitting up in the hospital bed staring out the window. Her left shoulder was bandaged and held in a sling when they entered the room she smiled at them, “Hey girls,” she said with her usual enthusiasm but without the usual animated gestures. The recovery from the wound had forced her to show her years a bit more than usual but she still looked younger than her actual age. Her brown hair was tied loosely to the right side and slight grey streaks could be seen.

Ann rushed towards her to pull her into a hug that made Alice grimace slightly, “Careful Ann.”

Ann pulled back, “I’m so glad you’re okay, I mean you are okay right?”

Alice tucked a loose strand of Ann’s hair behind her ear, “I am Ann, or at least I will be,” she laughed. Alice looked to Mia and her face turned somber, “I’m sorry Mia, I have no idea if any of your friends survived, I know some of them were there… I just don’t know how they could’ve escaped…”

“I should’ve been there.” Mia said flatly, she had been suppressing the thoughts of truly what had happened, everyone she knew there gone… she still held out some hope, maybe some didn’t go, maybe some survived. She knew if she added too much more emotion to her voice she might break, and she owed it to her friends to stay strong. She owed it to them to make their deaths mean something.

“I’m happy you weren’t.” Alice said in an equally emotionless tone, “Nobody should have to see atrocities like that.” Mia went to say something before Alice cut her off, “Before you say you could’ve done something, I promise you, you couldn’t, you can only do something now, so direct that feeling into what you can do.”

The two looked into each other’s eyes communicating all the emotions they felt without word or expression. Mia had picked up Alice’s habit of hiding how she really felt, she could often see the small cues that she had to hide them, she had always felt a deep connection to her in this way.

Mia and Ann stayed with Alice a while longer, recounting more lighthearted and happy memories from years passed. Mia hoped that it made Alice feel better since she had found it to make herself feel much better. They departed with cheerful well wishes soon after.

Mia and Ann reunited with Paul and they got something to eat before heading back to Lake Placid in time for the reconvening of the assembly. The guilds had agreed that this was the path the collective should take deferring to the scouts to gather information and organize while production would be moved into ways that would aid in an offensive resistance. By the end of the day Mia was prepared to head south as soon as possible.

* * *

After a few days Mia joined a contingent heading south of the SSNY to meet with a member of the Color Guard. Since Alice was still recovering and Jack was focusing on organizing she joined with Chloe who had been building trust with the member they were poised to meet. Ann decided her efforts in Canada could wait and joined Mia. Paul decided to come also, hoping he could learn and apply to his own struggle in Ottawa. All that was left was to wait for a member of the TLF to arrive, they were coming to pick up someone who had survived the massacre.

Mia couldn’t help but hope that the survivor was someone she knew. Since she had heard, she had been trying to see if anyone she knew could’ve been trans, but she just didn’t know.

* * *

Saoirse was the girl from the TLF’s name, Mia hadn’t met her yet but they were already planning to depart. They were set to meet her on the boat that would take them to the other side of the SSNY. Mia wasn’t a huge fan of boats but planes were out of the question, besides she had never flown so she had no idea if that was better. Planes were too easy for surveillance from the SSNY or Canada to spot but boats could travel more covertly through the flood lands between Toronto and Buffalo, the only cities that had walls to protect them from the increasingly rising water levels of the Great Lakes.

Chloe was an older black haired woman with a lot of experience in the so called ‘unclaimed regions’ south of the SSNY. Mia knew the region was mostly inhabited by people who wanted to be left alone, most with antiquated beliefs that no state offered but the collectives refused to support. Those who didn’t live there by choice were often wanted political activists of the SSNY, they operated outside of the state with hopes to one day return to their home as liberators. Ann had told her that the area was a hot bed for activities of the Buffalo Mafia, the organized crime syndicate that operated in the semi-autonomous city of Buffalo held by Canada.

After a few days on the lake they arrived in the mostly empty flooded city of Erie, there they met Saoirse waiting in a crumbling building. She wore all black save for the band of the trans flag wrapped around her left bicep. She had been reading a book that she slipped into a bag that she shouldered as she stood.

“Saoirse Nix?” Chloe asked to confirm.

“That would be me, you’re Chloe Hart I assume?”

“I am.”

“Who are these three?”

“This is Ann Tackovich, Paul Newberry and Mia Miyazaki,” Chloe gestured to each of them as she said their names.

“Hello,” Saoirse said dropping the stiffer informal voice, “nice to meet you all.”

“Nice to meet you too!” Ann said in her usual cheerful disposition.

“Hi,” said Paul simply.

Mia smiled and was surprised to see Saoirse smiled back without the brief hesitation she had found her appearance usually brought with it.

“I’m hoping to get to the safe house by nightfall,” Chole stated, unlike Saoirse her tone remained formal.

“Work’s for me, the quicker I get to my friend the better, I can’t stand to leave her alone any longer,” Saoirse said, the look on her face showed she clearly cared for this person deeply.

“Let’s go then,” Ann proposed, Chloe nodded and they exited the building entering a black truck that had been left for them outside it. Chloe took the driver’s seat and Saoirse the passenger, leaving Ann squished between Mia and Paul in the back seat. The crumbling city faded out of view as they drove down an old highway through rolling overgrown plains.

“So whose this girl anyway?” Paul asked Saoirse.

“Someone who needs help, and someone I’m desperate to finally see,” Saoirse answered.

“Finally see? You mean you’ve never seen her?” Ann inquired.

“Well I have seen her, just pictures though, I’ve been talking with her for probably a year now planning how to get her out, so she could finally be herself. She’s strong, I knew she would survive.”

“What’s her name?” Mia asked, hoping it might give her a clue to who it might be.

“Natalie, she goes by Nat.”

“Well I look forward to meeting her as well,” Ann said, “someone who can get a person to come across the continent to see them must be special.”

“She is,” Saoirse said wistfully.

Mia continued to wonder if it was a all possible she knew this girl, she had this desperate hope that if someone she knew survived maybe others did too, maybe she would be able to find someone to save too.

“Shit…” Chloe broke the silence.

In the distance Mia saw a quaint farmhouse with a modest barn next to it, the alarming sign was the four black SUVs parked outside it and the men standing around them in tactical gear holding assault rifles.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Chloe swore again exiting the farmhouse were two individuals held at gunpoint they were loaded into separate SUVs. A man in a suit then exited the farmhouse and directed the soldiers before entering the third SUV.

“Nat wasn’t one of them was she?” Saoirse asked her voice tinged with fear.

“No I know those two, your friend, she’s likely hidden in the basement, in the corner there is a large crate, under it is a trapdoor that leads to a sub-level, go get her, I’m going after the convoy,” as the words left Chloe’s mouth the three SUVs began driving down the farm road, one remained.

“I’ll come with you,” Ann said.

“No out of the question, all of you, go get the girl, I’ll do this alone.”

They got out of the truck and Saoirse grabbed a bag from the back, Chloe tore off as soon as Saoirse pulled it off.

“I assume you all know how to shoot?” Saoirse asked revealing a silenced pistols and magazines to be the contents of the bag.

Paul was the first to respond, “No, what do you mean shoot?” his voice was panicked.

“We do,” Ann said calmly gesturing to Mia before going into the bag to pull out a scoped bolt action rifle, “This is mine, I’ll stay up here with Paul.”

They quickly set up ear pieces and Mia and Saoirse came down the hill to the back of the farmhouse. In her ear Mia heard Ann’s voice, “There’s three SSNY guys out here, I’ll get them, you guys take the sides of the house and get anyone who comes outside.”

“Got it.” Mia and Saoirse both said.

Flanking the front door Mia watched the men outside as they milled around complaining about being left behind. Ann’s first shot broke the silence and one of the guards collapsed to the ground. One ran for cover behind the SUV while the other ran toward the downed man, another shot and that man also collapsed. Mia could hear the man behind the SUV frantically calling for help, two more men came through the front door, Ann shot and missed but both Saoirse and Mia hit their targets one in the shoulder and one in the knee.

The one with the bleeding knee shot in the direction of Saiorse but Ann’s second shot didn’t miss. The man with the bleeding shoulder shouted to the man behind the SUV about two flanking the door. Mia could see his feet move below the SUV. She layed down and aimed at the boots that were shifting behind the SUV. Saoirse came through her ear, “I can’t see him can either of you?”

“Nothing” Ann said.

“I can see his boots.” Mia said.

“Okay, I’ll shoot at the truck, when he kneels down take the shot Mia.” Ann advised.

“Got it.” Mia confirmed.

The shot came the window on the SUV shattered briefly revealing the man who shot blindly at the hillside before ducking behind the vehicle. Mia saw the knee drop and she shot it the scream told her she hadn’t missed.

Saoirse shouted in her ear, “Mia take cover!”

She dove behind the house as a barrage of shots came her way from beneath the SUV.

Saoirse came in again, “Stay there, I’ll flank his position, Ann watch my back.”

“Got it,” Ann said.

The fire of the soldiers weapon continued to destroy the wall that Mia hid behind until she heard the click of an empty magazine and soon after the suppressed crack from Saoirse’s pistol.

“Got him,” she said.

“Are we clear then?” Mia asked.

“I don’t see any more, be careful going in though,” Ann replied.

Mia and Saoirse reunited at the front door, “Go get Nat, I’ll clear the rooms,” Mia said to Saoirse. She nodded and descended the stairs to the basement.

Mia went from room to room and found no one else. “All clear,” she said into the comms.

“All clear,” Ann responded.

Saoirse did not respond, Mia descended the steps to the basement carefully one of the steps creaked and Saoirse turned around quickly aiming the pistol at her before lowering upon recognition. Mia was focused on the person that stood beside Saoirse though her heart skipped a beat, she thought she saw someone she knew, but the androgyny of the person that stood before prevented her brain from recognition.

“All clear?” Saoirse asked.

“Yeah…” Mia said trying to figure out who this was, until she figured it out and said something she quickly regretted, “wait… Nick?”

She saw them physically recoil instantly and she immediately regretted what she had said.

“Hey, that’s not her name anymore, wait, how do you even know that?” Saoirse said with anger and confusion.

This was Nat Mia realized, not only that but this was someone who she knew, someone who was related to someone she knew well, someone who last she saw, she was very worried about.

“Mia?” Nat said to her, “You look different”

Her voice was somewhat familiar but was lighter and softer than before, little things Mia had noticed before clicked into place.

“Same to you… Nat, damn, things make a lot more sense now,” Mia replied to her.

Saoirse interrupted, “Wait, how exactly do you two know each other?” Mia sensed a tinge of jealousy in her voice.

“Long story that we can explain later,” Mia said quickly, “more importantly, I’m happy you’re alive but I have to ask, do you know what happened to Nina?”

“Honestly, I was going to ask you the same thing.” Nat replied.

Next Chapter Coming Soon!