Resistance 3 - Chapter 3

3.

“So…  what’s the plan for today?”

Meghan shrugged, which her mother likely didn’t see as she stood at the stove, flipping the omelets she was making for their breakfast.

“Probably going to hit the gym this morning.  I dunno after that.”

“Again?  You’re on vacation, Meghan. Take a break.  Relax.”

And let myself go, like you, Meghan thought with hostility, critically eyeing her mother from behind.  She wasn’t horribly out of shape by any means…  but compared to before…

“It is relaxing, Mom.  I like working out.”

“OK, suit yourself,” her mother replied, another note of slight disapproval. “I just thought maybe you’d want to see some of your old friends while you were back.  Or spend a little time with your brother.”

“When?” Meghan asked, unable to entirely prevent the disdain in her voice from showing.  “He’s either at work or drunk off his ass.”

“Meghan, you know that -- oh, shoot!”  

As her mother turned toward her, two eggs rolled off the counter, cracking on the floor.  Taking a kitchen towel in hand, she got down on her knees, wiping up the mess.  “You know that he’s just going through a difficult spot right now,” her mother said, resuming her interrupted train of thought.

She looked up then, back at Meghan, a few stray blonde hairs hanging across her face, not as vibrant and vivid gold as before; but nonetheless in that moment Meghan had a powerful mental flashback of countless similar moments, years before.  Of her mother, down on the floor, on her knees.  Semen spattering her beautiful, young face, dripping down it, mixed with a sheen of perspiration.  Her blue eyes wide, full lips parted with wild, indecent excitement. Of her rising to her feet, approaching, their mouths meetings, hot sticky cum smearing between them.  The taste of it as she sucked it off of her tongue…

Meghan stood abruptly.  

“Alright, well I’m heading out now.”

And she left her mother to finish cleaning up the mess, alone.

***

Meghan worked out at a furious pace, practically sprinting on the treadmill.  She was angry, though if asked, she’d be hard pressed to say precisely why.  She would not admit it but deep down she knew her frenetic efforts were at least in part an attempt to quell the building frustration inside.  She knew where all of this hostility and resentment came from.  But she left it all unacknowledged, and it was only the raw emotion that bubbled on the surface, its origins resolutely unaddressed.

As the treadmill’s counter ticked off the fifth mile, Meghan slowed to a brisk walk, breathing hard.  Her eyes settled upon the television hanging on the wall in front of her, which showed a still image of none other than her very own father.  She reached up and pressed the volume button, turning up the sound just as the screen flashed to a podium, an official looking suited man standing before it, answering reporters’ questions.

“-- way you can give us some insight into Chairman Anderson’s roadmap for the GDC?”

“Well, obviously 100% inoculation is the top priority,” the spokesman answered.  “We’re making great progress on that front.  Next question.”

“Sources of ours have indicated that GDC leadership is being asked to step down, that there is going to be some sort of massive reorganization…  Can you comment?” 

“I can’t even imagine how rumours like this get started.  Next question.  Yes.”

“Can you speak to the ongoing efforts to isolate the physical effects of the Legacy Virus from the psychological aspects?”

“As I’ve said, vaccination against LV is the sole focus and priority at this time.

Yes, next question…”

Meghan turned away from the television toward the locker room, as the press conference droned on. 

Although she felt drained and somewhat sated from her vigorous workout, seeing her father’s face even for that brief moment had rekindled some of the latent resentment.  Good old Dad.  Savior of mankind…

She stripped down and admired her taut, fit self, sweat gleaming off of her svelte curves for a few moments before she stepped into the shower.  And she felt a little better.

***

It seemed like she couldn’t walk home from the gym without something eventful happening.  Meghan had barely walked a block when there came a series of yells from around the corner, sounds of a scuffle.

“Hold her!  Hold her down!”

“No!  No!  Leave me alone!”

A woman came sprinting past, barefoot, clothes torn.  Even intact, the outfit wouldn’t have covered much, but now the woman’s massive bust was nearly hanging out, one of the straps of the tight, short, red dress broken, dangling. 

Meghan dodged to the side to avoid being bowled over as a pair of navy clad soldiers sprinted past her in pursuit of the woman, tackling her, then hauling her up to her feet between them.

“No!  No!  No!”  The woman shrieked as she struggled to get free, her sleek, dark hair tousled, bright green eyes wide with panic.

Two more soldiers came running up with rifles in front of them, pointed at the ready.

“Hold her steady and I got this,” one of the latter men said, aiming carefully.

A rock struck him in the back.

“Leave her alone!”  

Meghan turned to see a small crowd approaching, armed with more rocks, bottles and other makeshift weapons.

“She’s not harming anyone!”

“Get back!”  The other soldier ignored his rifle, leaving it to hang on its sling, instead reaching for his sidearm pistol, drawing it and pointing to the crowd.  “She’s infected!  Back up!”

“We’re all vaccinated,”  a woman in the crowd shouted.  “She’s not a danger to anyone!  Let her go!”

“After she’s vaccinated, she can go wherever the fuck she wants,” the soldier snarled, still brandishing his weapon.  He addressed his comrade beside him.  “Tag her!”

The soldier re-shouldered his rifle and fired, which let out a rasp rather than a sharp report, and the detained infected woman let out a shriek of pain, falling to her knees, a hand going up to her shoulder, where a dart was now protruding.  “Noooo,” she wailed.  “I was sick before this!  LV saved my life!  I was happy like this.  I was happy the way I am…”

The soldiers restraining the woman left her to collapse on the ground in a heap, joining ranks with the others to confront the crowd.  “Disperse!  Now!”

“She didn’t want your “cure”!”  The bystander woman hurled a bottle, which barely missed, shattering on the ground.  “You should have let her alone!”  

The crowd was getting unruly, more objects being thrown at the outnumbered soldiers.  Some of the bystanders were encircling the fallen woman, helping her back to her feet as she openly wept.

“Back up!  All of you get back!”

Meghan turned away from the scene, heading toward her home as the yelling on both sides became louder.  She picked up the pace a little more when she heard the first gunshots ringing out behind her.