Flawed

The screams vibrated in Destiny’s skull as she ran from the even more frightening sound of the rumbling trucks. The chaos revolving around her helped hide her thumping footsteps as she pushed herself to the limit. Her arms clutched her daughter to her chest. She could feel Lotty’s small breaths against the base of her neck, a sign of her silent fear.

Headlights flashed across the road, and Destiny ducked into an alley. She moved into the deepest shadows and pressed her back to the rough brick wall. Her heartbeat was a pounding drum in the sudden silence. She smoothed a hand over Lotty’s mess of curls and watched the road. The silence of the dark street gave her no comfort. She knew they weren’t safe yet.

“We need to keep going,” Destiny whispered into her daughter’s ear. “Can you walk? Mommy needs her hands free.”

Lotty nodded, and Destiny placed her on her feet. Lotty’s hazel eyes watched the road, but fear no longer showed in her posture. Despite her young age, she had grown accustomed to the danger of their broken world. Destiny’s heart ached at the loss of her daughter’s chance to remain innocent.

Destiny slipped two daggers from her belt and held them at the ready as they moved swiftly down the dark alley. Lotty pressed close to her side, a few of her small fingers hooked through one of the loops on Destiny’s belt. They moved carefully in the darkness, over rubble and broken glass. Destiny paused beneath the flickering streetlight at the other opening of the alley and listened. The ground trembled just slightly beneath her feet with the passing of a truck from the distance. She scanned the dimly-lit street for any sign of life before moving silently down the road.

The blades in Destiny’s hands gleamed in the darkness, flashing with her every step. The wind whipped pieces of her golden hair in her face, and she flicked them away with a slight motion of her head. Her sharp breaths formed small clouds before her. The cold had started to nip at her nose. A quick glance at her daughter confirmed that Lotty was beginning to feel the sting of the cold as well. Her small form was shivering, but Destiny knew she would not complain.

The park’s gates finally loomed over them, and they slipped through the quietly-creaking barrier with ease. They followed the familiar, winding path through what was left of what used to be a nice park. Most of the vegetation had died off, leaving bare, brittle branches and crunching grass. The path beneath their feet had also begun to crumble. Despite all of its flaws, it still served as a safe haven for Destiny and her family.

Within the familiarity of home, Destiny still didn’t let her guard down. Even though her family was the only one using the park as a permanent residence, she knew that other desperate souls could seek refuge there. Desperation could drive people to do horrible things; even against those they once called friends. Destiny also knew that the actual enemy could easily slip into the park unnoticed.

Lotty began to pant quietly after the fifth hill that they climbed and descended. By the time they reached the top of the seventh, final hill, her grip on Destiny’s belt was heavy and clumsy. Destiny’s green eyes scanned the dark hilltop before she finally slipped her daggers back into their places and scooped Lotty back up into her arms.

“My brave little flower,” Destiny whispered as she placed a kiss on Lotty’s forehead.

The structure that served as their housing rose powerfully above them. A statue created in honor of the great Adam, leader of the Fect, had been given to the park when he first rose to success. His expressionless face and normal form depicted everything that had become known as perfection because of him; any flaws of human nature had been removed. The statue had been hollowed out so that children could climb around inside, and this, too, represented Adam perfectly. At least, that was how Destiny viewed him; fake strength on the outside, hollowed weakness on the inside.

Destiny’s blood boiled with the constant reminder of that monster of a man. She found a sort of ironic justice in using a representation of him as her home. Still, she would never forget what he and his people had done to her family. She would find a way to make the Fect pay for what they did. She would make them suffer as she had suffered.

A distant, growing sound caught Destiny’s attention, and she sent Lotty climbing on up into the structure. She took out her daggers again and stood ready to attack. As the sound grew louder, she identified it as running footsteps. When a figure finally emerged from the darkness, Destiny prepared to throw one of her daggers. Then the moonlight crossed over the figure’s face, and she saw familiar, caramel eyes behind shining glasses and long, dark hair hanging to narrow shoulders. She let her arms drop to her sides with a sigh.

“Noah,” she whispered when her husband reached her side. “I could have killed you.”

“Good,” Noah replied, pulling her into a tight embrace. “That just tells me you will go to any lengths to protect our daughter.”

Destiny pressed her lips to his briefly. “Did you see anyone on your way here?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still here. We should probably-“

They both froze as a deep rumbling started to build up around them. Then lightning flashed, and the sky opened to let out a flood of rain. Relieved that the rumbling was only thunder, Destiny and Noah took shelter within the structure.

In the darkness of Adam’s chest, Destiny and her family curled together in a mess of pillows and blankets. Lotty slept peacefully between her parents, too exhausted to be bothered by their quiet whispers. Noah gently played with his daughter’s curls as he spoke.

“In the lab today, we were talking about what the Fect might be planning,” he said, his glasses catching the tiny bit of light that reached them from outside. “They started out trying to kill us off since they must have realized we wouldn’t join their almighty cause. They must have changed their minds, though, because people have been witnessing the Fect shoving our people into the back of their trucks, using all the force necessary shy of killing them.”

“Kidnapping?” Destiny whispered in confusion. “What would they accomplish with that? Why kill so many of us in the past and change course now? Aren’t we still diseased to them?”

Noah shook his head. “I don’t know. No one who was taken has come back. That’s why we’ve been making these.”

He dug around in his pocket and dropped a small capsule into Destiny’s palm. She rolled the semi-transparent pill between her fingers, bringing it close to her face to distinguish it from the darkness.

“What does it do?” she asked.

“It’s a precaution. If you bite down on it, a chemical will be released that will make you invaluable to the Fect. It will erase any information from your mind that they might need.”

Destiny didn’t speak for some time. “So if I ingest this, will I remember you? Or Lotty?”

Noah hesitated. “You won’t even remember who you are. We’ve tried to incorporate triggers that could bring back memories if someone who took it came back, but it’s not foolproof. The one thing that’s guaranteed to remain in your mind is all that the Fect has done. You will never forget that.”

When she didn’t respond, he reached over and grasped her hand. “I know it’s dangerous, but it is the best way to keep the rest of us safe. If you can’t remember us, you can’t betray us. Please, think about what’s left of us. Think about our daughter. This sacrifice could be the difference between life and death for all of us. I hope you never have to use it, but I would feel better if you kept it with you.”

Destiny squeezed his hand and slipped the pill into her pocket. “If it means keeping you and Lotty safe, of course I’ll take it. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I put you in danger. I can’t lose anyone else.”

In the silence that followed, Destiny thought over what losing herself would mean. The Fect had been erasing everything that made them human. The only sure thing they really had left was their name, their identity. It was enough to know that she could lose the memory of her husband and child; losing herself as well was almost like letting the Fect win a small victory. But if it meant keeping Noah and Lotty safe, what choice did she really have?

Destiny kissed Lotty’s cheek lightly and sat up. “I’ll take first watch. You get some sleep.”

“Come get me when you get tired,” Noah said.

Destiny gave him a lingering kiss before she slipped back out into the damp night air. The rain had calmed to a gentle patter that added to the natural sounds of the night. With her shoes squeaking quietly on the wet grass, Destiny set off on her routine patrol.

When the rumbling started again, she dismissed it as thunder. She kept toying with the pill in her pocket, distracted by her own thoughts. Only when the headlights flashed from her right did she realize her mistake. She began to run, but the wet ground betrayed her. Destiny went tumbling painfully down the hill, landing at the bottom with a hard thud.

Men surrounded her, and her dazed vision blurred their numbers. She was able to think clearly enough to realize there were too many to fight. As hands began to reach for her, she managed to slip the pill into her mouth. With the image of her husband and daughter held tightly in her mind, Destiny bit down on the pill.


When Destiny opened her eyes, she was handcuffed to a cold metal chair. A matching table and additional chair were in front of her. The room was bare, and a single light bulb hung above her head. A door opened somewhere behind her, and a young man sat down in the chair opposite her.

Destiny instantly recognized the man as a member of the Fect. His body was the perfect size, not too thick or thin. His dark hair was cut to the appropriate length. His entire being was expressionless; eyes, face, and posture.

“Name yourself,” he said.

Destiny remained silent and collected, trying to hide the shock she felt when she couldn’t remember her name. She couldn’t remember anything of her life except her hatred of the Fect.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“I don’t remember,” she replied, smirking.

The man paused before speaking again. “We found a strange substance inside you. You ingested something to erase your memory?”

“I am useless to you,” Destiny said bluntly. “You might as well kill me now, because I have no information to give you. I don’t care if you torture me to the brink of death. I will never be able to tell you anything about my people.”

The man shook his head. “We do not require information from you. We need your help.”

“Help?” Destiny repeated, dumbfounded. “Why would I ever help you? Your kind has practically brought an end to the world in your desperate strive for perfection!”

The man’s jaw twitched. “We are suffering-“

“You are suffering?” Destiny asked, her voice shaking we rage. “We are suffering. You have slaughtered mothers and children, uncles and grandparents. You murdered nearly everyone that I love. You have forced what’s left of us to live in constant fear of what you might do next. Do not speak to me about suffering.”

The man rose and left the room without another word. When the door opened again, Destiny expected to come face-to-face with death. In a way, she did.

The man that walked –no, limped- to stand in front of her took every bitter word from Destiny’s mouth. She could see nearly all his bones poking through his paper-white skin. His whole body trembled as if it would give at a moment’s notice. His eyes had sunk deep into his very visible skull. The irises were pale blue, and red veins poisoned the whites. His hair was as pale as his skin, and pieces of it fell out as he sat down. His rasping voice barely came above a whisper.

“First, let me introduce myself. My name is Keaton. I have been informed that you do not know your name.” He paused to smile, exposing a mouth nearly vacant of teeth. “That’s fine. I only ask that you listen fully to what I say before you respond. We have no time to waste.”

Destiny couldn’t have found a coherent reply even if she had wanted to say something, so she did as he asked and remained silent.

“You have to understand; we thought we were doing what was right in the beginning. We thought that taking away a human’s physical differences and emotional tendencies would destroy any chance of anything but peace between us all. We thought removing all the flaws naturally born in us would erase all of our problems. If we all looked and thought relatively the same, what could go wrong?” Keaton shook his head. “Of course, there were difficulties in spreading the drug that would make this happen, and the people rebelled once they realized what was happening. They did not take well to our solution that would erase nearly all that made them human. In the chaos, so many lives were lost, and we deeply regret that in light of our current problem.”

Keaton stopped for a moment and raised his eyes to Destiny’s. “We are dying. Those of the first wave of the genetic change, like me, are falling to pieces. Just look at me for proof. Something in the drug is causing our bodies to wither, and it’s only a matter of time before the same becomes true for the entire Fect. We are trying to find the cure in the blood of those that have been untouched by the drug. We are trying to use as little force as possible, apart from the initial taking of the person. However, we have not truly had the opportunity to do any tests because every single person we have brought here has killed themselves before we could explain anything. Dead blood does not do us any good. You are the first person who has made it this far alive, and I’m begging you to help us.”

Destiny considered all that she had heard. All that she could remember was the pain of the loss of her parents and siblings. Even with that pain whispering to her about taking revenge, she couldn’t shake the doubt this dying man had placed inside her. She believed Keaton; the Fect regretted their actions and were only trying to keep themselves alive. Was that really so different from what her own people were doing?

I have to do what is right, Destiny decided.

“If I help you, you have to agree to my conditions. If I help you find a cure, you have to stop trying to control and change everyone. We are all already perfect, even with our flaws. You have to try and make peace with what’s left of us. It won’t be easy, but I will be the proof that you really have changed. We need to work together to make things right.”

Keaton didn’t hesitate. “We have a deal.”


When Destiny made her way through the city, she let her instinct take over and lead her to her home. Her mind was still mostly absent of her life, but she knew she was in the right place with each step through the park. A stray newspaper flew into her face, and she read the date: April 9th, 2268. She let the wind retake the paper and continued walking, feeling her mind begin to clear.

A familiar statue towered above her at last, and a familiar man was waiting for her beneath it. His golden-brown eyes were glazed over with a thin sheet of tears. The sight of her both troubled and relieved him, and she had a vague idea of the reason. Despite his emotional appearance, his voice came out calm and strong.

“Name yourself.”

She watched him as her mind slowly brought forth a word, a word she knew as her name. “Destiny. I’m Destiny.”

A tear slipped down his cheek. “What happened?”

Destiny walked to stand very close to him, never taking her eyes from his. “It’s a long story, but everything is going to be okay.”

He swallowed thickly. “Do you remember me?”

“Everything is still a little foggy,” she admitted. “But seeing you… I remember this.”

She kissed her husband and held him tight as their tears mixed together. When their daughter ran to join them, Destiny held both of them as close and tight as she could. It didn’t matter that she could barely remember them. With them, she was home. For the first time in a very long time, she felt that there was hope to live in peace, flaws included.