Read Second Class Supers – Page 37
Kya returned to her apartment, and she wanted to feel different. She dug deep inside herself and tried to pull out something amazing or super, but instead she just felt a tinge of pain from the injury that Frank had given her in the alley. She began to think the mysterious man she had met was truly just a whack job. Her chest still sore, and her body weak, she leaned against the apartment door and opened it.
The common space was dark. She dropped off her keys in the dish, and slipped off her shoes before she stumbled deeper into the apartment. It didn’t take long for Kya to realize that Sam wasn’t home. Usually, she thought to herself, at this time of night he’d be in the living room watching something on the wall mounted television, while also using his tablet and phone. A bevy of lights would be blinking and flashing as the room would be lit only from the various displays and not the half dozen lamps and light fixtures scattered around the room. This time, however, the only lights that Kya could see were those bleeding through the shut curtains, coming from the busy city streets beyond.
Kya went into her room and shut the door behind her before she sat on her bed. Despite the emptiness of the apartment, she still felt most at ease when she was safe inside her bedroom with the door closed. For the entirety of her bus ride home, she thought she had tasted blood and so she went into her bathroom to inspect the damage from Frank’s fist. With the bright bathroom light, she could easily see that there was already a deep, circular bruise forming. Taking a sip of water, Kya looked into the mirror and saw her own bloodshot eyes staring back at her.
“Long day, wasn’t it?” She said to her reflection.
Kya grabbed her laptop from her dresser and sat on her bed. As she opened it, a notification appeared, letting her know that she had received a dozen messages while she was gone. Most of the emails were related to newsletters she had subscribed to, or companies she had an interest in, but one stood out: a message from Sam. A feeling of hope mixed with anger hit Kya when she saw his name, and remembered their last exchange. She held her breath as she read his message.
Hi Kya, I just thought you should know about this employment opportunity that a friend mentioned to me. Seemed like it might be something you’d enjoy. Be back tomorrow.
– Sam
Kya was shocked at his ability to be so helpful and considerate after their argument and made a mental note to find a way to make it up to him. She wondered how someone so young could have such an endless amount of patience and understanding, especially when hers seemed to run out so fast.
At the end of the email was a link to an advertisement for an associate at a small, local bookstore and publisher. The requirements all seemed to fit Kya’s experience, as it would actually allow her to use her degree in English Literature and it didn’t require a Super. The listed pay seemed reasonable, and it was specifically for someone who enjoyed fiction. A rush of excitement coursed through Kya as she filled out the online application. She took time to craft a custom cover letter explaining her interest in fiction, the books she had recently read, and comparisons to movies. After an hour tweaking it, she read her application one more time, carefully analyzing her submission in hopes that she could really sell her passion to whomever was going to read it.
It had been more than a few years since Kya had submitted a resume, and she felt a bit of anxiety as she completed her application. Pressing submit on the online form, she wiped a thin film of sweat from her forehead, and crashed backwards into the pile of pillows on her bed.
The next morning, Kya found a response from a job she had applied to a few days earlier. Out of a dozen different places she had sent her resume to, a small, discount clothing store was the first to reply. She opened her e-mail, half expecting to find out she had gotten the job, and half hoping she hadn’t, only to find a very short message.
Hello Kya,
We regret to inform you, after speaking with your previous employer that you are not the candidate we are looking for at this time.
The words previous employer stood out and began to repeat endlessly in Kya’s mind. It didn’t take long for her brain to concoct a theory about what had happened. Don Georgetown was saying negative things about her. She hadn’t thought about potential future employers contacting her previous boss, and didn’t know what to do to resolve the situation. Kya’s mind raced as she thought about what might happen if the bookstore contacted Starlife Technologies and Don was able to smear her to them.
For a moment, she felt sick, but then Kya shook it off, and tried to put the negative email out of her mind. She thought about the job she applied for the night before, the one Sam had found, and she began to feel a bit confused. She couldn’t understand how Sam could be so nice to her when she had been so angry with him. She still felt betrayed by him, but a seed of curiosity had been planted within her and she couldn’t ignore it as it grew. Samson Hart she typed into the search field, and once again the screen flooded with results. She stared at them trying to decide where to start. She scanned for the earliest dated article she could find and clicked on a link dated thirteen years ago and read through the entirety of the article, word by word.
Hart Matriarch First Public Citizen to Get Supers
Multibillionaire Victoria Hart has signed on to be the first, of the general public, to purchase what the government has called “Supers”. Earlier this year, a genetic manipulation technique, long since used for military and police, entered the third generation of testing and yesterday the technique was given the green light for administration to the general public. Victoria Hart, wife of Vincent Hart, and co-founder of Heimdal Energy, was at the door of the first of many clinics where Supers will be administered. She was granted access before it’s doors were officially opened and placed the $5500 cash payment on the service counter before requesting a Super called Flight.
Mrs. Hart received an injection which will rewrite her genetic code to enable her to fly. The power should begin to take effect within a week. She is quoted as saying, “I can’t wait to see all the possibility Supers will bring to the world, and I can’t wait for others to join me.”
It is presumed Mr. Hart will also likely undergo a procedure soon. Their son, Samson Hart, will have to wait three more years, as the government has imposed an age restriction so that Supers can only be obtained by persons over the age of eighteen.
Other restrictions on Supers include that each Super must manifest fully before another can be administered, and that a limit of five Supers can be obtained by one person. There is also an extraction technique in the works in case someone wishes to swap out one power for another.
The article went on to list the side effects of Supers and the predicted popularity of them. Kya sighed and clicked on another result. World’s First Flying Woman was a link to a short video of a woman taking a very unsteady flight across a beach, while a man and a blond haired boy watched. The caption under the video read Victoria Hart shows off her new skills for her husband and son, Samson.
Kya returned to her search results and clicked on a title she had read the last time she had searched Sam’s name.
Hart Family Tragedy
Today the world mourns the death of the first Super Hero. Victoria Hart was a true pioneer, the first person to receive a Super. She received the injection that would rewrite her DNA to enable her to fly only twenty six short days ago. Her bravery and sense of adventure started a frenzy for Super powers. It was this same power, however, that took her life.
The article linked to a video of Victoria’s final flight. Kya let her cursor hover over the link for a moment, but she could not bring herself to watch the video. The article explained that Victoria had flown too high, and passed out due to oxygen deprivation and plummeted to her death, leaving behind her husband and son, Samson Hart.
Malcolm's Ramblings 