Fortitude: Habitual Humanity, #7

By J. M. Tompkins

In the seventh installment of the Habitual Humanity series, Miles' endeavor to overthrow the American government is starting to take shape while Gia and Darius begin a dangerous plan to work for the outsiders from inside of Fort Campbell. The stakes are high and their lives are in danger as they fight for what they believe in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creativity Untamed, LLC
• Release date: May 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985896466

Book preview

Fortitude

Novella 7 of the Habitual Humanity Series

J. M. Tompkins

Creativity Untamed, LLC

Copyright © 2023 by Creativity Untamed, LLC

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact [include publisher/author contact info].

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Book Cover by RebecaCovers

For the fans of Habitual Humanity.

This is all for you.

THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 7, 2073

Dr. Darius Jones

It felt a little surreal to Darius Jones to think of heading back toward Fort Campbell as a spy for the outsiders. The battle at the base was over. The outsiders were retreating, and though there were still sounds of occasional gunfire, the overwhelming noise of confusion, pain, and death had faded into the strange, ringing silence after the chaos. Only a few hours ago, while walking through the middle of the battle, he’d been in such a calm state. But now, he felt himself jump at nothing. The silence seemed to bring back an awareness of his own human frailty.

He knew from experience that every soldier involved in this battle was experiencing the same thing. Not only that, but he also knew that in the future, these horrors would haunt their dreams. Their psyche would never stop attempting to make sense of the mayhem that their superiors would label as necessary—though that would depend on whether they won this war in the end. Because, of course, history would paint the losing side in an evil light, no matter their reasons. And their struggles would inevitably be labeled as unreasonable. The good guys always win kind of nonsense—a truth people told themselves so they could sleep at night.

And which side would win? Darius was voluntarily returning to his version of a prison as a mole. And the realization that he could be working for the losing side should have scared him.

He was done being scared. He was done chasing this ideology of a career. Where did this goal originate, anyway? Was it an innate aspect of being human? Or was it something made up by the culture of a capitalist society? What did it truly mean to have success, anyway? Why should he be measured by what he did for money? Shouldn’t he be measured, instead, by whether he had loved?

Perhaps, but part of him hoped not. He’d failed August miserably. Now, Darius was a very different man today after losing far too much. It shouldn’t have taken so much pain to wake up his soul. But now that it was alive, he felt this burning anger to stand up for August, Max, his mother, and the people of the Wastebasket.

He let out a small laugh and shook his head. Just yesterday, he couldn’t live with himself any longer. He’d given into the black hole which had been consuming him, expanding in a marvelous mystery of silent terror which threatened to swallow him whole if he’d let it. And then today, he’d voluntarily walked through a war zone only to come upon a different path. Death wasn’t his only way out. But perhaps, if he’d just simply chose it, fighting for justice for others was another option.

The bench where he’d chatted with Abel was only about twenty feet behind him. Just ahead of him was a scene of destruction—part of the wall surrounding the base had crumbled down. Smoke and debris surrounded him. Wounded or dead soldiers lie on the ground. It would appear as though the outsiders had intended to bring down the powerful wall and take over this pivotal location of the Advanced Army. And it seemed that they’d failed miserably. Though Darius now knew that hadn’t been the goal all along. A small smile appeared on his face at the ingenuity of the attack. No one would suspect they’d planned to lose this battle all along.

He glanced to his left at the homes lining the suburban streets and took note there was minimal damage to them. Residents emerged, looking shell-shocked and confused as they watched the rogue army. No doubt cautious, wondering if these untrustworthy dupes would come after them next.

That’s when Darius noticed an RV parked on the street. He’d never seen it before and the state of it suggested it was older than him. Off-white with two neon orange stripes down the middle, he was positive this belonged to the outsiders. But what would they use an RV for?

That’s when Gia exited the hideous vehicle, and he had to catch his breath.

Gia was supposed to be inside the base having a serious meltdown because Barry was missing. Gia, the doctor who was, for all intents and purposes, being held captive by the military to do her job. Darius had left her hours ago, crying so hard she couldn’t breathe and definitely unable to function in any possible way.

But then Darius remembered Abel said Gia had a made a clone of herself. That bit of information hadn’t surprised Darius in the least. Gia had so many layers to her, he should have guessed she’d done something. It was the only way to keep ahold of one’s own sanity inside the base. He stopped walking and watched Gia, or rather the woman who was undeniably her clone, head off into a group of soldiers. She talked with them for a few minutes and then headed back to the RV. She was far too calm to be the worried mother he’d left inside the base.

Darius turned back toward the bench, but before he could take a step, noticed that Abel was gone. He had to find him. An idea was forming, and he could feel the adrenaline rush through his body. Though he really should think this idea through before sharing it. This insane, not only improbable but impossible idea. But if it could work…

Darius had never really given much thought to fate. After all, he was a man of science. And the concept of some invisible force out there in the world dictating where a specific person was supposed to be at a certain point in time seemed a little too serendipitous for him. However, today, as he walked along the destroyed suburban streets with the smell of death and gunpowder filling his nose, he considered it.

Was this moment, this pivotal idea, why he wanted to become a doctor so desperately and had worked on the most horrific project in history just so that he could be in this place? Fate wanted him to be here so that he could see Gia’s clone and come up with an insane plan? Which could be the key to winning this war?

But that would suggest that his mother committed suicide in order to send him on this path. So, no, he wouldn’t be one of those people who would justify disturbing events in a feeble attempt to make everything purposeful and special.

Life was nothing more than a terrible accident forced upon him. But he still got to choose what to do with it. And this idea could make it all worth it. Thankfully, and for once, he realized he didn’t have to do everything by himself. He didn’t have to figure out all the pieces before doing what he knew was right.

Darius approached the bench and spun around, looking for Abel. He scanned the scenes of chaos around him. Soldiers carrying bodies to wherever they were collecting them, homeowners picking up debris out of their yard, and finally Abel, surrounded by a group of soldiers to whom he was no doubt giving orders. Running over to Abel at full speed, Darius was out of breath when he yelled the man’s name.

Abel looked a little startled when Darius approached him at a full run.

Switch… them…, was all Darius could get out between breaths.

Catch your breath, son, you’re not making sense, Abel replied.

Gia and Gianna, Darius got out.

Abel looked shocked as he put the two half sentences together. He stood in thought for a moment before he said, That’s absurd and we have zero time to work it out.

Darius nodded. Abel was right and Darius had already known it wouldn’t work.

Before he could turn away, Abel spoke again. They are the two smartest people I’ve ever known, so if anyone could pull it off, it would be those two. I’ll introduce you to Gianna. Let’s see what she thinks.

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 8, 2073

Dr. Gia Moreno

Gia sat her tent on the edge of the unmarked graveyard of clones. Hidden in the back of Fort Campbell, it was a pure representation